Jessica
by Sophie1989
Summary: Set June 2010: Ronnie runs away from Walford to her brother's house only to find her 20 year old niece there. Ronnie is reluctant to go back to Walford and face her demons, but Jessica escorts her, not realizing she'll be facing some demons of her own...
1. Oh Crumbs

Jessica groaned and turned her body round, unsuccessfully, on the sofa she had fallen asleep on in the early hours of that morning. As she opened her bleary eyes she recognised her surroundings to be that of her Dad's house and she remembered that she was house-sitting for him whilst he was away for a couple of days on his mate's stag do in Ireland. She sat up too quickly and her head swam as she raised a gentle hand up to her forehead. The amount of vodka she had consumed last night hadn't been much, but seemingly enough to give her a headache this morning. She slowly and reluctantly sat up from the sofa with the intention of going into the kitchen but she paused in the hallway and glanced up the stairs, thinking back to the events of last night:

_Jessica had sat down in front of the TV, waiting for the Real Hustle to come onto BBCThree. She was seriously debating whether to invite her boyfriend round but it was 9pm and he was probably out with a couple of mates anyway so she chose to use this alone-time wisely and began tucking into a big bowl of popcorn._

_No sooner had she raised one bit to her mouth the doorbell rang. She had no idea who it was - especially at this time of night - so cautiously approached the front door, slightly narked that she was missing her favourite chill out programme. She attempted to recognise the figure through the frosted-out window of the door but couldn't, all she could tell was that it was a tall, blonde woman. She nervously unlocked the door, pulled it open ajar and the woman on the doorstep looked at her in surprise and confusion:_

_RONNIE: Jessie?!_

_Jessica remained where she was, not thrilled that her Auntie Ronnie stood outside. She had no idea what to say to her. Why was she here? And why was she here now? Jessica hadn't heard anything from her for the past three years and all of a sudden she had just turned up out of the blue. She never cracked a smile at the recognition. What was the point? She had spent so many years, especially when she was a kid, desperate for her eldest Aunt's attention, without a response. Ronnie had always been so cold and resentful, not wanting to be anywhere near her most of the time. Jessica had always thought she was so cool, but over the years she had settled for her Auntie Roxy who had always given her love and attention and had always, without fail, remembered to send her birthday and Christmas cards and presents. Her Auntie Ronnie had always forgotten. She pulled the door open, slightly angry:_

_JESSICA: What do you want?_

_Ronnie took in a deep breath but remained silent. For twenty years she had been harsh to this girl, never being overly-keen to play with her when she was little, or talk to her when she was older and it was for one pure reason. Jessica had always reminded her of how her daughter could've been had she not given her up at birth. Jessica had the blonde hair, the blue eyes and the lips, which she knew her niece would've got from the Mitchell side. But the thing that Jessica hurt Ronnie the most about, without even realising, was that she had been born the same day as her baby had. Ironic really, but her brother and father had had an argument two years previous and had never spoke again, so Archie had never battered an eyelid that Ronnie's big twenty year old brother was having a baby, instead he forced her to get rid of hers. Her Amy. Her Danielle. And now Danielle was…_

_JESSICA: Oh…crumbs…erm…_

_Jessica had no idea what to do. She was rubbish at keeping up a cold front, especially when someone started to cry. Her anger melted away as her Aunt began to cry hysterically on the doorstep. She didn't think that her words had been said that harshly but maybe they had. As cruel as her Aunt had been, it had never been enough for Jessica to stop loving and admiring her._

_JESSICA: …oh…come on, we'd better get you inside._

_She put an arm round Ronnie and escorted her into the living room, switched off the TV, then put a nice bottle of Vodka on the table, knowing that one route to her Aunt's heart was through alcohol._

Jessica slowly crept up the stairs towards her bedroom which she had offered to her Aunt last night. The door was open and Jessica couldn't help but crack a small smile as she saw Ronnie sprawled out on the bed, fully clothed, with her hair all over her face. Her Aunt looked so…_human_ when she was asleep. A lot less scary and a lot more approachable. Maybe at some point, she could find it in her heart to forgive her Auntie Ron for all the neglect over the years. After all that she had been through over the past year and a half, Jessica was impressed that her Aunt was still standing, even if it was only just.

*** * ***

**Well, dunno what you think about the idea but I've thought up SO MANY twists for this character including who her mother is, who her boyfriend is etc. **

**Tis gonna be fun to write it all but for now I've just gotta establish the character - hope I've done a good job so far?**

**Comments and feedback are great and I'll keep updating as much as possible, as well as updating my fic 'Revealed' :) Soph xxx**


	2. Two Photos

Ronnie opened her eyes slowly and pushed her fringe out of her face. As she looked around the unrecognisable room she tried to think back to the night before, of how she got to wherever she was.

_JESSICA: So this Jack…_

_Ronnie watched as her niece faded her statement, expecting a last name to pop up:_

_RONNIE: …Branning…_

_JESSICA: …this Jack Br--- Branning?_

_Ronnie nodded slowly, unsure why her niece hung onto the name as if it was wrong. Jessica merely paused for thought, then continued to end the statement:_

_JESSICA: So this Jack Branning…he's…well is he the love of your life then?_

_Ronnie sank her third glass of vodka and sat back in the sofa. She had been sitting in her brother's house for about forty minutes, trying her hardest to answer the first question her niece had asked her: "What's happened?". Jessica had been helpful by advising she started at the beginning and Ronnie had, but failed to mention the existence of Danielle, unsure whether Jessica actually knew that Ronnie had a kid. It was so complicated and her daughter's death almost made that part of the conversation pointless. There was no 'well she might still be out there' or 'you could bump into her at any moment' because Danielle didn't exist anymore. She only existed in Ronnie's heart and memory - though the memories hadn't been completely fond, they were still memories. If Ronnie mentioned her now, it would only be Danielle's story, with a beginning, middle and end. No maybe's or probably's. Just an end._

_Ronnie took a deep breath and thought back to the previous thing she had said to Jessica. She had told her about the last moment she had been in Jack's flat they had had a big argument about becoming pregnant. Jack had got angry because Ronnie had poked holes in their condoms without his consent. Looking back at the whole situation she didn't know why she had done it. She had lost it big time and now she feared that she had lost him for good._

_RONNIE: Yeah. We've got this connection, this…well it's a Ross and Rachel syndrome type thing._

_Jessica smirked:_

_JESSICA: Ross and Rachel…from Friends?!_

_RONNIE: Yeah, you know…with me and Jack it's never 'off the table'…we always come back to each other at some point. I don't know, it's hard to explain._

_JESSICA: Well you've summed it up flippin' well with the Ross and Rachel reference._

_They remained silent, not sure what else to say about the matter. Ronnie just prayed that Jessica wouldn't bring up the source of her burning desire to have a child, because Ronnie didn't really want to relive the whole Danielle-Saga. And to her relief, her niece didn't loom over the subject and yawned instead. She couldn't believe how quickly she had grown up, into a proper woman. Ronnie still felt a pang of guilt as she realised how unlike Danielle she was, and probably always had been. But for the past 20 years, Ronnie had acted almost jealously towards her innocent niece, being reminded of her daughter and where she might be, how she might look, sound and feel. But Jessica had always had a kind heart like her father, a bossy nature like her Auntie Roxy, with a steely disposition at times - which Ronnie reluctantly presumed she must have picked up from her. All the qualities and personality she saw and had seen in her niece she always presumed that Danielle would also have been like that, had she had been with Ronnie from birth. Ronnie smiled at the thought of what it would've been like watching Jessica and Danielle grow up together. They probably would've been inseparable, best friends to the end, more like sisters, and a tough team to contend with - just like Ronnie and Roxy had been growing up. But the two girls had never known each other and never would, so Ronnie knew it was no good dwelling on what could have been._

Ronnie sat up on the bed and looked around the room, remembering that she had been offered Jessica's room to sleep in that night. Her eyes glanced over the dressing table which was littered with hair pins, hair bands, a nail file, hairspray, perfumes and jewellery. Then up to the mirror which had an old picture of Jessica with her Dad. Ronnie remembered that it had been taken at Jessica's 13th Birthday Party, the last time Ronnie had _actually_ visited her niece, and she had gone reluctantly, especially as it had been on the 26th of June. She had just wanted to spend the day alone to think of her daughter and what she might have been doing on that day. There had been so many people at Jessica's party she felt like a fish out of water. The only people she knew was her sister Roxy, who had dragged her along saying that they only had one niece and she would only be 13 once, and her brother Drew who was Jessica's father.

Ronnie's eyes then fluttered over to the wall facing her. She noticed a collection of photos that had been blue tacked together in a sort of montage. She slowly got up from the bed, staggering slightly from the alcohol she had consumed the night before, and walked over to the little group of photos. There were lots of Jessica with her Dad that had been taken all over the place, from outside Buckingham Palace, to a villa in Spain, even at Disneyland Florida. Then Ronnie's eyes were drawn to a collection of smaller photos in the bottom right hand corner of the montage, they were of herself and Roxy with their niece, ranging from Jessica as a baby right the way through to a photo of a disgruntled Ronnie with an overly excited-looking Roxy and Jessica at the 13th Birthday Party. Ronnie couldn't help but feel guilty about the photo. She hadn't even tried to look happy and she supposed that was how immature she had been back then…but it had only been 7 years ago. She had been 28, a rightful adult, yet she still remained a storm in a teacup even at her own niece's 13th birthday.

Ronnie turned to her left, at the wall next to her and saw a collection of photos with a few postcards. She walked over and peered at them. They were a collection of photos that Ronnie presumed were of Jessica's friends, and she had so many! She was nothing like Ronnie who had always been somewhat of an outsider always looking in, and as far as she was aware, Danielle had been the same too, only keeping a very small amount of friends close to her. Ronnie continued looking at the photos, smiling at the look of happiness splattered on the faces of Jessica and her friends. But her smile soon faded when her eyes clasped on two photos in particular and a postcard. She ripped the two photos off the wall and sat on the bed with a big bump from the shock of what she saw in her hands.

Before her very eyes she saw two photo's, both with a presumably 15 year old Jessica who had her arm around a presumably 15 year old Danielle.

*** * ***

**Ooohhhh! Thanks for all the great comments guuuys :) Made me confident enough to keep writing.**

**Well that's the first twist revealed. HOW does Jessica know Danielle??**

**I'll update asap but chances are it'll be tomorrow as I'm at work todaaaay.**

**Soph xxx**


	3. Practically Sisters

**Sorry it's taken so long to update, my laptop's been under construction..**

*** * ***

Jessica grinned to herself whilst rustling up a fried breakfast for her and Ronnie. It had been thirty minutes since she'd checked on her Aunt and the last she saw, Ronnie had started to stir in her sleep, so Jessica presumed it wouldn't be long until she would be awake. As she pushed the bacon and sausages around in the saucepan she thought back to some of her Aunt's final words the night before:

_RONNIE: Do you know what? I just realised that everything I said tonight, I've never told anyone about._

_Jessica smiled in surprise, feeling privileged that her usually closed Aunt had opened up to her, someone who was practically a stranger, despite being blood related and she wondered what had happened to Ronnie to have made her change her ways. To have made her trust an almost stranger with her deepest desires regarding her love life and future. Jessica shrugged and motioned to the empty bottle of Vodka that Ronnie had pretty much demolished herself over the past two hours, but for the one glass that Jessica had drank from._

_JESSICA: Must be the alcohol._

_RONNIE: I doubt it, I'm quite the drinker._

_Jessica watched as her Aunt giggled then quietened down again as she noticed her niece's expression:_

_RONNIE: What?_

_JESSICA: No, nothing._

_It was something, but a little something. Jessica had never heard her Aunt giggle before. Not once. Her Aunt had never been happy when she had been around her as a child, so to hear this small, high pitched giggle reassured Jessica that her Aunt had changed somehow, she just didn't know what had caused it. Ronnie let out a loud yawn and Jessica started to get up._

_JESSICA: Come on, lets get you to bed. Tomorrow's another day._

_Ronnie looked as though she was about to protest but didn't have time to as Jessica grabbed her hand, pulled her off the sofa and towards the stairs._

_JESSICA: You can have my room._

_RONNIE: Oh no, it's okay, I'll just sleep on the sofa._

_Jessica didn't argue but continued to drag her tipsy Aunt up the stairs. She stopped outside a room and Ronnie stood next to her, peering through the door._

_JESSICA: There you go, now rest up good. You need to be on top form for tomorrow._

_RONNIE: Why? What are we doing tomo---_

_JESSICA: ---Just you leave that to me._

_Jessica watched as her Aunt turned to face her and smile, then clumsily bring a hand up to Jessica's blonde hair and tuck it lovingly behind her niece's ears._

_RONNIE: Thanks for listening Jessie. I know it sounds weird, but I've really missed you._

_Jessica wasn't sure if it was her Aunt or the alcohol talking but she chose to smile gratefully anyway, because either way Ronnie was now being the Aunt that Jessica had always wished her to be like:_

_JESSICA: What are family for eh? Now go on, off to sleep._

_She gasped with surprise as her Aunt threw her arms around her and gave her a big hug - probably tighter than it could have been but Jessica put that down to the alcohol and the emotional day her Aunt had seemed to have had._

_RONNIE: Thanks Jessie. Love you._

Jessica heard footsteps slowly walk into the kitchen and matched the sound to her Auntie Ronnie:

JESSICA: Morning. I made us some breakfast.

Her face dropped when she turned round to see her Aunt sitting at the table and looking at her, white as a sheet.

JESSICA: You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost.

She giggled but soon stopped when her Aunt didn't respond. Ronnie cleared her throat and opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the words. She looked down at the photos in her hands. At the beaming smiles on her daughter and niece's faces. How did they know each other? Where did they meet? Had they grown up together? Why hadn't anyone told her? So many questions were rushing through her mind all at once and she felt her heart rate increase as she looked up and blurted out the question she had been longing to ask since she had found the photos five minutes ago:

RONNIE: How long have you known Danielle Jones?

Jessica dropped the wooden spoon she had been holding onto the pan with a clatter. Now there was someone who hadn't been in contact with her for a while. Not as bad as her Auntie Ronnie but still.. She turned to look at her Aunt with a confused expression on her face as she placed bacon, eggs, beans, toast and sausages onto two plates, then put them on the table. Jessica slowly took the seat next to Ronnie, neither woman breaking their eye contact nor looks of confusion. Both Mitchell women tried to read the other with no luck, after all they were both Mitchell's - unreadable until the final moment. Jessica sighed and broke the eye contact, giving up on her Aunt who had spent many more years than her perfecting the art of being unreadable. She looked at the photos that were still gripped in the shaking hand of her Auntie Ronnie and she wondered what it was that had her strong Aunt all shook up:

JESSICA: I met Danni about six years ago. We were paired up to share a dorm at a Summer Camp Dad had suggested I went to. We've been best friends ever since…well…as best of friends as you can be with the distance being so big and such.

She continued to look at her Aunt, hoping to see signs of where her answer had lead to, however after letting it sink in, Jessica shook her head and became confused:

JESSICA: Hold on a minute. How do _you_ know Danni?

This time it was Ronnie's turn to sigh and she looked back down at the photos, focusing on the photo of her young daughter's smiling face as she pointed at her young niece's t-shirt that matched hers. Ronnie's mouth twitched into a smile slightly, thinking of the irony that her imagination of what it would've been like had her daughter and niece grow up together had actually been true. She took a deep breath and her heart rate increased again as she prepared herself to reveal the information she had kept from her niece her whole life:

RONNIE: Twenty years ago I had a baby. A little girl. I called her---

JESSICA: ---Amy…

Ronnie looked over at her niece, surprised at her rapid response but Jessica was looking back at her matter-of-factly, clearly in the know.

RONNIE: You know about my Amy?

JESSICA: Well yeah, Dad told me about two years ago that she had died and that's why you hadn't been in contact with us. I thought you knew I knew.

Ronnie shook her head in shock, hardly realising that she had began to fiddle with the locket that hung round her neck. Jessica's sharp eyes caught the motion and she shook her head quickly as though trying to shake something from her mind, before blinking and looking at the locket again. Ronnie became aware of her niece's action and put the locket back down her top:

RONNIE: What?

JESSICA: No, nothing. It's just…well Danni she…

Jessica's heart began to race as she matched up the facts. Danni had had the exact same locket, her Auntie Ronnie had had a daughter around the same time that she was born and Danni's birthday had been the exact same day as hers. Jessica looked down at the photos and her stomach turned when she saw the blonde hair and petite figure of Danni, an almost exact replica of how her Aunt had looked at the age of 15. But her Auntie Ronnie's daughter had died and Danni was still alive so something wasn't matching up. Some information had been lost in translation but she wasn't sure what information or when it had been lost. Ronnie's heart began to race as she saw her niece piecing everything together. She knew that soon the words would drop out of Jessica's mouth, but she couldn't wait that long:

RONNIE: She was my daughter.

They both sat in silence, shocked at one another's revelations. Jessica couldn't believe that for the past six years she had been best friends, practically sisters, with a girl that she had never known was her cousin. A family member. Her own flesh and blood. They had both joked in the past that they were practically family anyway but now it was no laughing matter - it was the truth. Ronnie still couldn't believe that her niece had known _about_ her daughter but never spoken to her about it.

JESSICA: So did you always know she was your daughter?

Ronnie looked up to see Jessica's eyes on her, her eyebrows slightly furrowed with concern:

RONNIE: Not until recently.

She didn't really know what else to say. How could she tell her niece that the daughter she had once thought dead, had actually been alive only to die in her arms within seconds of them being reunited. She couldn't hold her niece's gaze for much longer and stared back down at the photos, but Jessica tried to ease the tension and smiled:

JESSICA: Well what does she think of all your problems with Jack? I bet she's telling him what's what right now. Putting him right back in his place.

Jessica laughed but Ronnie remained silent, knowing full well that her daughter _wasn't_ doing that, and never would.

RONNIE: She cant. Because she's dead. She died a few months ago.

* * *

**Hope it was worth the wait. Good ol' Ronnie - straight to the point "She cant. Because she's dead." Always the party-pooper!**

**So does Jessica tell Ronnie what her daughter was like? Sure, so expect a little trip down memory lane and just some nice stuff before the Mitchell women head over to Walford in the next chapter. After that we can actually expect a bit of a storyline..**

**Will update asap.**

**Comments and feedback really appreciated and thanks for the positive response to the opening of this story, makes me want to write morrreeee :) Soph xxx**


	4. Forever Friends

Jessica rushed into her bedroom, breathless from taking the stairs quickly, two at a time. She was still in shock, unaware of what to think let alone say and blindly walked over to her chest of draws as tears filled her eyes. She thought back to the past few months when she had wondered where Danni had been. Usually they contacted each other at least once a month via text, call or letter, and it had always been her friend that had been the best at doing so. The only acceptation had been in January which Danni had frantically apologised for in early February over the phone. She had seemed nervous and hadn't disclosed the reason why. Over the past few months Jessica had heard nothing from her friend and now felt guilty for all the times she had cursed Danni's lack of contact. It wasn't her friend's fault she was dead.

Jessica wiped her dripping nose on her sleeve and knelt down in front of the bottom draw. She took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly opened it, trying to find a moment of peace before reaching in and pulling out a well kept Forever Friends scrapbook.

* * *

Ronnie had no idea what her niece was up to, all she knew - as she sat in her same position at the kitchen table - was that Jessica was collecting something she "really needed to see." Ronnie wasn't sure what it could be, nor was she sure her niece was okay. After all, she had picked up the knack of keeping all her inner-feelings to herself, something she had learnt to do growing up without a mother. Jessica's mother had walked out on Jessica and Drew when Jessica was only a babe, something her niece had had to deal with when growing up. Ronnie guessed that was why her niece had felt some sort of bond with her, Ronnie was a mother without a daughter and Jessica was a daughter without a mother. Ronnie had never had the 'pleasure' of meeting Jessica's mother due to her brother having lived so far away from Ronnie, Roxy, Archie and Glenda at the time of Jessica's birth. Drew and Archie had given up on a father/son relationship three years previous to that time after a huge argument and neither had been within each other's presence since. Ronnie remembered how venerable she had felt the moment her big strong brother had left the house, there was no one left to help fight her battles and so from then on she went it alone, only visiting her brother every so often if he happened to meet her after school, which was never frequent.

Ronnie looked up as she saw her niece slowly walk into the room wearing a watery smile - her face had been washed but still showed signs of teary puffiness that Ronnie chose not to pursue. She watched as Jessica approached the table, took a deep breath and carefully placed a book in front of her:

JESSICA: This is something I've kept safe for a couple of years now. I think…hope…maybe she might've hoped I would show this to you at some point.

Ronnie looked down at the book, knowing full well who her niece was talking about. She inspected the pastel pink front cover, lightly running her fingertip over the letters that said 'Forever Friends' whilst Jessica resumed the seat next to her aunt, unsure of what her reaction would be like. Ronnie took a deep shuddering breath and held the edge of the front cover, unsure whether she wanted to look at the contents of the book in case she showed any signs of emotional weakness at what she might see, in front of her niece. But she dismissed her nerves as best as possible and slowly opened the book to reveal on the opening page a note that had been neatly written in a silver liquid pen. A small smile of fascination grew on Ronnie's face as she lightly traced her finger over the letters, as though trying to connect with the person who had wrote them:

_To my Birthday Buddy and Best Friend_

_Jessica "JJ" Mitchell!_

_HAPPY 18TH__ BIRTHDAY TO US!!_

_Here's a little something I made for you _

_so you can always remember the good times we've shared._

_Have a fabtastic day and I cant wait to see you at camp_

_in a few weeks time!!_

_Loadsa love,_

_Danni "LL" Jones_

_xxxxx_

Ronnie took a deep breath as she read her daughter's name over and over again. This small, insignificant note captured everything her daughter must have been like before she came to Walford. Before she came to find her. Before she had been let down a million times. Before she had been given so many mixed signals and false hope. Her daughter had been bubbly, happy, chatty, certain, excitable - all the things she had never personally witnessed and suddenly Ronnie felt very sad. Sad that she was the key to her daughter's unhappiness and uncertainty about life.

JESSICA: I know it's silly but…well we came up with nicknames for each other, as kids do.

She motioned to each name:

JESSICA: I'm JJ, obviously, but LL came about…I dunno, cos she said her name was Danni and I said she'd missed off the "L" so…I dunno we just doubled it and…yeah…

Jessica trailed off, unsure whether her input had really been that necessary, especially as her aunt had made no new expressions since she had opened the book. Ronnie's eyes trailed up the note a bit, honing in on one particular word and she whispered to herself quietly as she recognised it:

RONNIE: Fabtastic…

Jessica smiled, relieved that her aunt had responded in some way, and could see by the small smile creeping back onto her face that Ronnie remembered the significance of the word.

JESSICA: I remember when I was a kid, Auntie Rox was always saying "Fabtastic this" and "Fabtastic that"…calling everything Fabtastic. One day I asked her where she got that cool word from and do you know what she said?

She giggled and Ronnie looked up, wanting to know the answer despite already knowing it inside.

JESSICA: She pointed over at you and said "I got it from your Auntie Ron".

Ronnie smiled and remembered that day. Jessica had been no older than 6 and Roxy had been describing a ride she had been on at a funfair they had just come back from. Ronnie had been less than keen to recall the memory of that weekend at the time, and felt somewhat guilty that she had never been enthusiastic around her niece as a youngster.

RONNIE: Yeah, I remember.

Ronnie turned to the facing page and smiled slightly as she noticed smudged silver dots where the ink from the note had accidentally transferred onto the opposing page and she could imagine how irritated her Danni must've been to have realised this small thing - something so minor to most people, but probably so major to her daughter.

JESSICA: I remember the first camp we were together, I used that word and said I'd got it from you. There was this expression she pulled, I remember it, an expression I hadn't thought much about but now I think about it…she seemed almost _excited_, or even hopeful. Well it must've been a really important piece of information to her because we used it to describe everything after that.

Jessica let out a little giggle as she thought back to the fun days with her old camp buddy but Ronnie leaned forward with a calm smile on her face, yet on the inside so desperate to hear more about what her daughter was like:

RONNIE: Tell me about her. What was my daughter like growing up over the years that you knew her. I mean, you must've known her well cos she calls you her best friend.

Ronnie motioned to the note as she spoke but Jessica hesitated and her smile faded. She had just found out that one of her closest friend's had died. Her mind was screaming at her not to reveal any of the memories she possessed to her aunt, but as Jessica looked into her aunt's blue eyes she saw, for the first time, that they were not a sharp shade of blue, but a calm shade of blue, and she realised that she had the key to make her aunt happy. The key to the love and acceptation that Jessica had always craved from her aunt since the day she'd been born. So with a deep breath she pulled her chair closer to Ronnie and turned the next page of the book, encouraging her aunt to look whilst she narrated. Ronnie smiled as her eyes ran over the silver ink that had written "2002" at the top of the page. She then looked down to see three photos artistically placed together with a few annotations she presumed had been written by Danni: "Our home over the few weeks", "Where we first met", "Our first meal on our first night." Ronnie continued to smile as she turned her head over to the next page and took a deep breath as she laid her eyes on a couple of photos of her daughter and niece.

JESSICA: The first time I met her I remember thinking how venerable she looked. I couldn't believe how nervous she was. We were shown to our dorm and she hadn't spoken a word since we'd met. As we began to unpack our things I started putting up some photos of Dad, you, Auntie Rox - you guys were the only family I had - then all of a sudden this little voice piped up…

Ronnie smiled, imagining the scene as she continued to slowly leaf through the book and study the photos and annotations.

JESSICA: She asked me who the photos were of and I told her they were of my family, my dad and my two aunts. She kept asking questions about what you were like…

Ronnie looked up sharply. Danielle must've known what she'd looked like from the photo in her locket, so that must've meant that she had known who she was to Jessica, that Jessica was her cousin.

RONNIE: Me?

Jessica nodded, now knowing the reason why her friend had taken such an interest in her cold, unhappy aunt. They both sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. Ronnie looked back down at the book and Ronnie's heart dropped as she turned the page to reveal the title "2003" and a photo that made her stomach twist. Jessica looked up into her aunt's disappointed face and understood the reason for it. She looked down at the photo her aunt was staring at:

JESSICA: This was taken at the first of many birthday parties you never turned up to, and the first of many that she did.

*******

**Oooh a serious case of 'what if's going on now :)**

**Mega sorry about the lack in update, I've just moved house and so everything's having to be sorted out! The place looks like a bomb's hit it!**

**Hope you're all ok and you enjoyed this little update. I'll try to get the next part up soon!**

**Comments and feedback always appreciated guys! Sophie xxx**


	5. If It Helps

Ronnie's eyes began to well up as she stared at a picture of her daughter and niece with big beaming smiles on their faces with their arms round each other in front of a huge birthday cake that had 14 candles on it. Ronnie closed her eyes in frustration as she remembered this had been the first year that she had protested about going to her niece's party and prevailed, resulting in her and Roxy staying home instead. It had always been too much for her to see her niece growing up instead of her daughter and now, to her dismay, she would've seen her daughter had she turned up for the party. Whether she would've known Danni was her daughter, or had just dismissed her as another one of her niece's annoying friends it was hard to tell. She would never know. Ronnie slowly opened her eyes and exhaled, ready to take in the photo again. She looked closely at her daughter's face and realised how similar Danni looked to herself. In the photo Danni was around the age Ronnie had been when she had given birth to her, fourteen. Ronnie's eyes were drawn to the tiny locket that hung loosely round her daughter's neck and she felt her heart race. If she had been at the party she would've put all the information together with that locket and come to the conclusion that Danni was her daughter. They could've been happy together long before either of them had gone to Walford and neither living a lie. Ronnie couldn't help herself, and tears began to roll down her cheeks as she thought of the irony of the unfair situation. Her hand began to shake as it rested on the page of the photo she was still staring at in disbelief. Suddenly she felt the calm hand of her niece on top of hers and she turned to see the caring face of Jessica, who was looking concerned yet slightly perplexed at her aunt's reaction.

JESSICA: If it helps, she had been asking the whole day if you and Auntie Rox would be turning up…

Ronnie took a deep breath and turned the page again, trying to forget, trying to force the guilt out of her heart and mind. If her niece thought that those words were some sort of way to console her, then Jessica had failed. Ronnie continued to filter through the pages, watching the smiling face of her daughter's ever growing face as each photo depicted Danni another day, week, month or year older. Suddenly the photos stopped and only empty pages remained. Ronnie held her gaze on the final photo of Danni and Jessica, arms round each other like their 2003 photo, behind a "HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY" cake. Ronnie smiled as she saw the giggly faces of her daughter and niece but her smile faded when she looked up to see Jessica looking at her with a sad expression on her face:

JESSICA: She never turned up.

RONNIE: What do you mean?

Jessica shuffled nervously in her chair then focused her attention on the final photo as she spoke slowly:

JESSICA: She called me two weeks after our 18th Birthday Party in tears. Her Mum had just died.

Ronnie's heart sank again as she looked back down at the photo, at her daughter's smiling face and remembered Dannie's confession all those months ago about the death of her mother - Liz, her foster mother.

JESSICA: She didn't go to camp that year, and neither did I…not that Dad minded of course - he always hated me going away.

Ronnie cracked a small smile at the thought of her over-protective brother but Jessica's face remained sullen:

JESSICA: From then on she was different. Always a bit more distant. She still knew how to have a laugh though, but laughs became more scarce after her mum…you know…

Jessica trailed off and took a deep breath, looking at her aunt. To Ronnie's surprise, a small smile began to creep onto her niece's face.

JESSICA: And then she started going on about how she wanted to find her real Mum.

Ronnie's ears pricked up and she looked at Jessica intently, desperate to hear more.

RONNIE: What did she say? Did she mention me??

Jessica shook her head:

JESSICA: If I had, I would've know she was a Mitchell wouldn't I. No, she said she'd found her real Mum and she was nothing like she'd heard or imagined.

Jessica watched her aunt's face drop and she knew exactly how Danni must've felt. She imagined that Ronnie would've alienated Danni from the word go, that was just what she was like, especially as Danni fitted the exact description of her daughter. But despite the years of neglect that Jessica had had to deal with from her aunt, she still felt for her. Her aunt _had_ thought her daughter was dead. And now she was.

Ronnie's heart sank again. If she'd known, she would've been everything that Danni had heard and imagined…and more.

*** * ***

**Just a little round up before I pop to work :)**

**Next chapter = to the "Walford Mobil"!! Yep, they're off back to Walford…what fun that'll be :) **

**Sophie xxx**


	6. Amazing

Jessica sat happily at the wheel of her car, singing along loudly to Lady Gaga that was blasting out of the speakers as her aunt sat nervously in the passenger seat. Jessica could sense her aunt's fear but couldn't understand why it was there. She had been a fully licensed driver for three years so why didn't her aunt trust her driving?

RONNIE: So where are we going?

Jessica tried to hide her grin, surprised that her aunt hadn't recognised any road signs that directed them to the east of London, and she watched Ronnie panic at the look on her face.

RONNIE: Oh you're not seriously taking me ba---

JESSICA: ---back home? Yeah.

She looked over at her aunt's panic stricken face but didn't wait for her to answer:

JESSICA: Oh come _on!_ You're gonna have to face these demons of yours at some point! It might as well be sooner rather than later…

RONNIE: …But…

JESSICA: …No 'buts'! Seriously the sooner you get it over and done with, the sooner it'll blow over and the sooner things will all be back to normal again.

She gave her aunt a matter-of-fact look and Ronnie crumbled. She knew her niece was right, but she still didn't like that fact and she scowled slightly as she looked out of the window with her arms folded. ** They sat in silence for a little while with the only sounds were the song erupting from the stereo and the wind through the open sunroof. Jessica started tapping and singing along to a new song that had started to play over the speakers. Ronnie looked over curiously at her niece who had a big grin on her face, clearly enjoying the song. She still couldn't believe how grown up her little niece now was. She remembered when Jessica was a kid - as a 2/3 year old and no matter how many times she tripped over, fell over, banged her head on tables, crashed her Play Mobil car into walls, grazed her hands and knees, Jessica never cried. Her niece would just always mutter "whoopsie" then get straight up, dust herself down, then continue running about. That was always something Ronnie would remember, something that she always admired about her niece, no matter what happened Jessica had always picked herself up, dusted herself down and simply continued.

Jessica looked over at her aunt with a big grin, but Ronnie didn't reciprocate it.

JESSICA: Oh come on lighten up! Are you telling me you've _never_ heard this song?

Ronnie looked back at the road, not wanting to make it obvious to her niece that she really _did_ want to join her in being in a great mood, but she didn't want to make it obvious that her mood could be changed so dramatically by one person. But that person - her niece's positive personality was so infectious she was finding it hard to keep from tapping her foot.

RONNIE: Of course I've heard it. It's always on the Radio and TV…

Jessica rolled her eyes in frustration that her aunt didn't see the big picture:

JESSICA: Yes, but have you really _heard_ it? Listen to the backing track and look up.

Ronnie suddenly found herself looking up, but at what she wasn't sure.

JESSICA: Listen to this song and look at the deep blue cloudless sky, the bright luscious trees that are reflecting the beaming sunshine and are a blur as we whiz past them…are you telling me that you cant smile when listening to this song and looking at those things? The world may not be perfect, but if it was we wouldn't be able to appreciate the little amazing things.

Ronnie looked from the open sunroof over to her niece:

RONNIE: Amazing?

Jessica shrugged and continued watching the road with a smile on her face:

JESSICA: Sitting on a beach watching the sun go down - amazing. The feeling of rain hammering down on you on a hot summer's day - amazing. Getting constant fits of the giggles because of one thing your friend said days ago - amazing… lots of things are amazing, the little things. The problem is, we're all too busy to notice or even realise that they're amazing…

Ronnie raised her eyebrows as her niece continued to watch the road and she was impressed at her niece's positive outlook on life. And now she understood how Jessica could always continue life with a smile on her face, because out of all the bad things, she could pick out the little good 'amazing' things and revel in them giving her the strength to keep going, to keep positive. Ronnie smiled as she put her hand out of the window and felt the warm breeze rushing between her fingertips.

JESSICA: See!!

Ronnie turned to her niece's excited face, unsure of what she was meant to see now, only to notice that Jessica was pointing at her foot that was tapping to the beat of the song and suddenly Ronnie felt a big smile grow wider on her face:

JESSICA: That's more like it! I love having a happy Auntie Ronnie. Makes me believe that anything is possible!

Ronnie giggled for the first time in a long time as she looked back out of the window, the wind still blowing between her fingertips as Jessica tapped the steering wheel happily, over the moon that she had made her cold Aunt giggle again.

* * *

**Good ol' Jessica :) For those who wanna know, the song they had on the stereo towards the end of this chapter was "Life in Technicolour ii" by Coldplay ;) if you wanna listen to it you can find it on youtube just got to youtube's homepage and put this at the end of the web address: /watch?v=mzxoLZXF9SI --- it always puts a smile on my face :)**

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update, I'm working so much at the mo!**

**Will try and have the next chapter up soon! Comments and feedback always appreciated - Sophie xxx**


	7. Classy

JESSICA: Is this _it_?!

Jessica stepped out of her car and looked at her surroundings with an unimpressed look on her face. She'd always expected her aunt to live in a place a little more…_classier_ than Walford. Then again, the name wasn't over-classy so she wasn't sure why she'd expected the actual place to be cool. She looked from the grubby little market stall's that stood a bit ahead of her, over to her aunt who was getting out of the car and looking around as though checking for someone. Jessica's eyes met her aunt's and she raised her eyebrows causing Ronnie to smirk slightly as she walked round to stand next to her niece.

RONNIE: What?

Jessica shrugged and turned to look back at the market stalls that stood on the grey, dirty street as people milled about them.

JESSICA: I just imagined you to live in a more classier place, that's all.

Ronnie smiled and put an arm round her niece's shoulders as she raised her eyebrows at her matter-of-factly:

RONNIE: This _is _London. There's no such thing as 'classy'.

Jessica giggled and nodded in agreement. They paused for a moment, Jessica felt her aunt looking around and she knew who for:

JESSICA: So where is he then?

Ronnie knew who she meant and glanced at her watch. It was 11am. At this time of morning she hoped he would be at home but there was a tiny percentage that he would already be:

RONNIE: At the club?

Jessica's heart skipped a beat as her aunt gently encouraged her to walk with her. She suddenly became very excited at the thought of being able to see her aunt's club. She had never been allowed over to Ibiza to see Ronnie when she ran a bar over there. Then again, she and her aunt hadn't actually seen eye-to-eye at that point in time. She remembered her Dad putting his foot down about that one, despite her auntie Roxy's protests:

_DREW: Absolutely not Annie!_

_ROXY: Oh come on Drew she'll be fiiiine!_

_DREW: She's only 16!_

_ROXY: She's legal…_

_DREW: Yeah for one thing and there is no way that I'm letting my little girl get into the same mess her dear mother did all those years ago! Pregnancy and drugs is a big no-no!!_

_ROXY: So drinking is okay?_

_Roxy knew a clever question wasn't the way to get around her brother and he answered it the way she'd expected, by exhaling in frustration:_

_DREW: NO!! No teenage pregnancies, no drugs, no alcohol!!_

_ROXY: And I totally embrace that - but me and Ron, we'll look after her great, and besides it'll only be for a couple of weeks!_

_DREW: Like I say a couple of weeks is all it takes for her to get knocked up or addicted to drugs or to get onto booze._

_ROXY: But---_

_DREW: No 'buts' Annie, the answer's no!_

_And with that Drew Mitchell walked out of the room and into the kitchen to make himself a strong coffee as a form of de-stress. Roxy watched her big brother leave the room and she moved round to the stairs where her disappointed 16 year old niece had sat listening in on the conversation:_

_ROXY: Sorry kiddo - don't say I didn't try!_

* * *

Jessica couldn't help but gasp when she began walking down the steps of the club beside Ronnie. She hadn't expected it to be quite as cool as it was…but this was _so_ her aunt's club. Tiny, seemingly insignificant lights that transformed the mood of the place, cool tables and chairs, a massive DJ area and an even cooler bar. Jessica opened her eyes in disbelief at the amount of different spirits behind the bar.

Ronnie smiled as she looked at her niece's shining face then looked over at the bar. She remembered when she had first opened R&R she had sat on one of the stools over there and wondered what it would've felt like to have shown her daughter this place. Her daughter had, of course, seen it - but not to Ronnie's knowledge. Not till it was too late. Ronnie thought back to all those times Danni had been so enthusiastic to work here and to party here, all the extra hours she would pick up and now Ronnie knew that Danni's incentive had always been that she was working with her mother. Now it was too late. Now Ronnie could never be in this club with Danni again and guilt began to build up in her mind as her stomach felt like it was twisting.

Jessica looked up to see a small look of concern plastered on Ronnie's serious face and she could only imagine how hard it must be for her aunt to return to such familiar territory in which her daughter once walked around. She had an urge to comfort her, but for all the times she had known her aunt she still wasn't sure whether a hug or a hold of the hand would be the right sort of comfort because her aunt's mood was so hard to judge. Jessica's heart was screaming at her to give Ronnie a reassuring hug, but the inner fear she had of her aunt's rejection again, led Jessica to merely take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze instead. Ronnie snapped out of her trance - her twisted stomach and guilt slowly subsided as she looked down again at her niece who now wore a concerned look. Ronnie now felt responsible for wiping the smile from her niece's face and she smiled in the vein hope that it would lift Jessica's spirits.

RONNIE: So, do you like it?

Jessica smiled in relief that her action had been a positive thing and brought her real aunt back into the room:

JESSICA: Are you kidding? I love it! You came up with this all by yourself?

Ronnie looked around, desperate to say yes but she knew it would be a lie. She didn't want to lie to someone as pure and true as her niece:

RONNIE: Well me and…

JACK: …Me.

Jessica froze as she heard a male voice enter their conversation. She looked up at her aunt who's soft face had suddenly gone steely - a disposition that Jessica knew meant that the guard had been put up and that this particular man was someone who shouldn't be trusted. But there was a flicker of nerves in her aunt's eyes that she had never seen before and it was this particular feature that gave Jessica the knowledge that her aunt's heart still belonged to this man, but for how long?

Jessica turned to see a dark, handsome man enter from a room she presumed was the office and couldn't believe how far from her 'imagined Jack' he was. She had imagined him to be tall, lanky and blonde like her aunt, not that visually he didn't suit her. In fact, as he approached them Jessica noted how well suited her aunt and Jack looked, but there was something about him that she recognised.

JACK: Ron, I was so worried about you. Are you okay?

RONNIE: I'm fine.

Jessica felt a little shiver run down her spine as she heard her aunt speak in that cold, uninviting manner she had been so used to over the past twenty years. Jessica looked up to see Ronnie's expression match the tone of voice - a look of steel, but to Jessica's amazement the man didn't hesitate, just continued to slowly walk towards them, his face dropping as he motioned towards Jessica:

JACK: What's this, The Mitchell brigade or something?

Jessica still had hold of her aunt's hand and felt Ronnie tense up in defence but she didn't blame her. _The Mitchell brigade_?! He'd better know who he was talking to. Jessica could see that her aunt had been right: he was rude, uninviting and didn't deserve an ounce of sympathy:

JESSICA: It's _Jessica_ Mitchell actually.

Ronnie watched and tried to keep her smile to herself as Jack hesitated at Jessica's sudden snap into a cold, steely defence. She was actually quite surprised at her niece's outburst. The once happy-go-lucky girl had put her defence up in a flash and now stood beside her, ready to fight the odds for her family, the Mitchell family, a family that she clearly treasured. Jack looked at the two blondes, knowing full well that any 'conversation' that would start right now would only end in him losing. He looked over at Ronnie trying desperately to read her mind with no avail so he merely raised his eyebrows expectantly:

JACK: So you're heeerrr…?

JESSICA: I'm her niece. Her _eldest_ niece. Of course you know who her youngest niece is…

Jessica didn't have time to finish the first part of her rant before Jack exhaled loudly making Ronnie jump slightly.

JACK: Great Ron, so you told _her_?!

Jessica could feel her aunt's frustration bubbling up but Ronnie still remained silent and Jessica knew it was to try and find some clever words to gain the high ground. It was the Mitchell way. But Jessica wasn't so controlled:

JESSICA: Of _course_ she told me, I'm family!

Jack looked from Jessica over to Ronnie, his anger and frustration building up:

JACK: Yeah, the spit of one particular family member I see.

RONNIE: What's that supposed to mean?

JACK: Oh come on Ron, it's no good bringing her here hoping that she can fill the space that's been made now Danielle's dead.

Both Jessica and Ronnie tensed up, their faces looked like thunder and all of a sudden Jack took a step back realising that he may not have chosen the best words.

JESSICA: How _dare_ you bring Danni into this, as if she's some sort of excuse for your inability to care about the fact that my aunt is still grieving! You're just sore that auntie Ron isn't at your beckoned call 24/7, that she may actually need some time _without_ you!

JACK: No, I just think it's no good that she's dwelling on the past when she can start thinking about the future!

RONNIE: Oh you have gone _way_ too far! If this is your idea of trying to win me back you've got another thing coming!

Jack stood breathless from his side of the argument, feeling defeated as both women glared at him, their voices lowering from high pitched fury to quiet, steely anger:

RONNIE: Come on Jessie.

JESSICA: With pleasure.

Jessica let her aunt lead her away from the bar and they both scowled at Jack before leaving the club, fuming. Ronnie exhaled loudly and put her arm around her niece again, relieved to have got out of the place despite the fact they hadn't got too far with the whole 'confronting the demons' situation.

RONNIE: Well I must say Jessie, the true Mitchell came out of you just then. Where the heck did that come from?!

Jessica couldn't believe what had just happened herself. It had been a long time since she had lost her temper like that, but she could only blame it on one thing:

JESSICA: Hormones I suppose.

* * *

**Woop! Well this was way longer than I'd initially expected with a totally different ending :) Next chapter is gonna be a goodie cos another twist pops along FINALLY!!**

**I wont be able to write it till about Thursday morning though - sorry!**

**Hope you enjoyed this one :) let me know what you think! Soph xxx**


	8. Ruby

Jessica sat on the wall outside Ronnie's flat, trying to swing her long legs but failing as the tips of her shoes scraped the ground below. She remembered what it was like to sit on a wall and be able to swing her legs freely but now she was all grown up with lots of responsibilities and even more to come. Jessica sighed as she turned and looked up at the flat that she knew her aunt was currently getting changed in. Ronnie had managed to persuade her to stay in Walford for a few days as a way of catching up with each other. Jessica had a feeling though that wasn't the only reason why she wanted her to stay - despite Ronnie's cold outer layer she craved company, particularly company that understood her as well as Jessica seemed to do. So despite initial hesitation she agreed to stay with Ronnie for a few days, more so for her aunt's sake than her own.

Jessica look from the flat, to her watch, then looked out onto the street. If Ronnie was much longer there would be no point in going for a coffee at all! Suddenly she took a double take as a tall young man with red hair slowly walked towards her from across the street with a mirrored image of recognition and confusion.

BRADLEY: Jessie?!

JESSICA: Erm…hi?

As the man approached her she felt as though she knew him. As though she _should_ know him. But she couldn't for the life of her remember _how_ she could know him. He stopped just before her and laughed slightly nervously as he realised she didn't recognise him.

BRADLEY: Oh you probably don't remember me. I'm Bradley… Bradley Branning..

Jessica's heart skipped a beat as the name rang alarm bells in her head:

JESSICA: Oh…yeah…Bradley, you're Max's son right?

BRADLEY: Yeah, right.

Both smiled politely, happy that the awkward introduction was over but neither could think what to say. Jessica couldn't stop staring at him. The only time she had ever seen him was at her 7th birthday party. He'd grown up so much since then and she smiled as she remembered him for:

JESSICA: You managed to feed my birthday cake to my dog…

Bradley looked down at his feet and shuffled them as his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment:

BRADLEY: Oh yeah…_that_…sorry!

Jessica giggled wondering why he was apologising for a situation that happened when they were just kids. But thinking back she remembered being totally gutted and in floods of tears because her golden Labrador "Ruby" had been fed her birthday cake. What poured salt into the wounds more was that Jessica had decorated the cake herself the evening before - an amazing cake with loads of different coloured icing, sweeties, chocolates and candles - a true masterpiece that had been inhaled in a matter of seconds by her favourite four-legged friend.

BRADLEY: Well…at least we can look back and laugh.

JESSICA: Yeah.

They both looked at each other and smiled as the conversation started to go cold. Bradley sighed and checked his watch:

BRADLEY: Fancy going for a coffee and catching up?

JESSICA: Oh, I'd love to but I'm actually going to have coffee with my aunt. I'm here for a few days though, maybe tomorrow? I'll give you a text when I'm free?

They swapped numbers and said their goodbyes before Bradley headed off back down the road, his face returning to a look of confusion at what had just happened. Jessica watched the tall lanky figure walk away from her and couldn't believe how small a world she lived in. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted with a large bang as her aunt slammed the front door shut and she sidled up to her niece with a grin on her face.

RONNIE: Crumbs you've only been here five minutes and you've already swapped numbers with one guy! Who else are you going to meet??

JESSICA: It's not what you think.

She slid off the wall and started to walk down the street next to her aunt who was still looking at her with a cheeky grin and her eyebrows raised.

RONNIE: I know what I saw…

Jessica chose not to rise to her aunt's level - she was only teasing, and she had every right to because it was what aunt's did. Besides, Jessica was just relieved that Ronnie was smiley and chatty, anything was better than the cold aunt she had been around at her 13th birthday party all those years ago.

* * *

**Little short chapter that I never intended to be included…**

**So **_**how**_** do Jessica and Bradley know each other?**

**You'll find out in the next chapter!!**

**Hope you guys like this one, comments are always appreciated! Night night, Soph xxx**


	9. Bacon Sarnies

Jessica reached over, gratefully grabbing a mug of hot tea from Ronnie's hand and smiled as her aunt sat opposite her in the small jazzy café. She watched her eagerly, desperate to soak up every ounce of happiness that her aunt seemed to feel at that moment in time. Ronnie's happy nature was still very unfamiliar to Jessica, but she loved every minute of it. This was the aunt she had always dreamt of, and actually an aunt she had always had, it had just taken some unfortunate events and some fortunate words to bring the best out of Ronnie Mitchell - ice queen. Jessica watched, intrigued by her aunt's every move as Ronnie poured three sugars into her coffee, swirled the spoon around slowly then tapped it three times on the side of the mug and gently put the spoon down before bringing the mug up to her face and closing her eyes at the feel of the hot steam and comforting smell that emitted from the coffee. It was these little things that made Jessica smile and wonder what it would've been like had her Auntie Ronnie been around lots when she was a kid.

Suddenly Jessica jumped as her aunt spoke:

RONNIE: Penny for them..

Jessica realised she had been daydreaming, she let go of the spoon she had been swirling in her tea and looked down, embarrassed that her aunt had caught her in such a venerable place. She had a habit of daydreaming.

JESSICA: Oh it's nothing…

They sat in silence for a moment as Ronnie looked at her niece, trying to read her, with no luck. Jessica took a sip of her tea whilst feeling increasingly uncomfortable with her aunt's eyes on her. The truth was, since Jessica had been at the club, she had been mulling over Jack and where she may have met him before. There had been something so familiar about the look on his face as he had argued with Ronnie and Jessica earlier giving her the feeling that she may have met him during a previous moment in her life.

RONNIE: Is it something to do with Bradley?

Jessica shook her head, surprised that her aunt had come to that conclusion, she hadn't realised she was that difficult to read.

RONNIE: So you're not looking dreamily into your tea and thinking about him and all the things you could be doing with him right now?

Jessica wrinkled up her nose as if completely disgusted that her aunt had suggested something that was practically incest:

JESSICA: Urgh! No its just I…

She paused as she looked at her aunt's expectant face, unsure whether she should say what she was thinking:

JESSICA: …I have this feeling that I may have met Jack somewhere before…

She trailed off, half hoping her aunt would just giggle it off as if she were drunk but Ronnie's eyes widened and her face dropped. Suddenly Jessica wished her aunt _was_ drunk:

RONNIE: How do you mean?

JESSICA: Well that's just it, I'm not sure...

She took another sip of her tea as she watch her Auntie Ronnie try to process the information and she hoped her aunt wouldn't pursue the conversation any further. Ronnie opened her mouth as if she was about to ask something but as she looked over at her niece she could tell Jessica didn't want to talk anymore about the matter. So, as difficult as it was for Ronnie - who was usually so determined - she diverted the conversation, relieved that her niece had actually confided in her about something and she hoped that this new found relationship would mean that Jessica would always come to her for advice and use her as someone to talk to. Like a mother. Like the mother Jessica had never had, and the mother Ronnie had always wanted to be. She smiled at her niece:

RONNIE: I'm a bit peckish. Do you fancy anything from here? A bacon sarnie or something?

Jessica smiled at the idea, having felt hungry for the past hour. She would have to confide with her aunt about her eating habits and cravings at some point, but here was not the place and now was not the time:

JESSICA: Bacon sarnie would be _amazing_!

RONNIE: Okay, I'll be right back.

Jessica smiled as her aunt gave her a big grin and a wink then walked up to the counter where a grumpy man and a kind looking woman, who she presumed was his wife, served her aunt. She couldn't believe how different Ronnie was now to the aunt she had last seen seven years ago. So much had happened since then of course, but the biggest of them all was Danielle's death, which Jessica knew was still a big burning problem deep down inside her aunt. And for some reason she felt it was her duty to help her Auntie Ronnie get through this process of overcoming the blow that was the death of her daughter. Though how she would go about doing it, Jessica had no idea. All she knew was that the more time she spent with her aunt, talking to her and doing things with her, the more her aunt would feel comfortable and safe enough to confide in her.

The bell of the café door tinkled and Jessica's heart leapt into her mouth as a man with thinning red hair strutted into the building and paused in shock as he looked over at her.

MAX: Jessica?

Jessica shot a quick glance at her aunt who was busy making small talk with the woman behind the counter as the grumpy man put some bacon on a pan, Ronnie hadn't noticed that someone had spoken to her niece. Jessica's nerves shot up and she tried not to make it show by putting her defence up, making her face as unreadable as possible as Max approached her table still with a look of confusion, despite a smile of amazement growing on his face:

MAX: You look so grown up.

Jessica's face stayed sullen, despite always having a soft spot for him since he had calmed her Dad down all those years ago:

JESSICA: I _am_ grown up.

MAX: That you are… So what are you doing here?

Jessica's eyes flitted over to the door as it rang and a stranger walked into the building. She wondered if it would be too obvious if she just ran out. Her aunt would understand…eventually:

JESSICA: I should be asking you the same question.

Max laughed slightly, still keeping his eyes on the young woman before him:

MAX: Well I live here.

Jessica's face fell as she knew the consequences of this answer:

JESSICA: Wha---here? And Lau---

MAX: ---Lauren yeah.

JESSICA: …and…

Max said nothing but just nodded and Jessica's stomach twisted knowing that they were talking about the same person.

MAX: She'd love to see you Jess..

But Jessica hadn't really heard what he said, his words sounded like a blur as she blanked into her own world. She was here. She could be right outside.

RONNIE: Jessie? Are you okay?

Jessica came back into the room and she looked up to see her aunt had returned to the table carrying two bacon sarnies on plates. She would've been relieved for this company about a minute ago but now it was too late. Ronnie looked from Jessica's pale face over to Max who was looking at her niece with a worried and almost _sympathetic_ expression. She felt her blood begin to boil, wanting to know what he had said to make her happy niece become so…_scared_.

All Jessica knew was that she had to get out of the café, get out of Walford, get out of London and for good. Without saying anything Jessica leapt up out of her seat and ran out of the café, not even hesitating to look back, despite her name being called out by her aunt and Max.

Jessica tripped out of the café, her heart racing and tears beginning to spring into her eyes. She looked around frantically, the reality of just how many people in the square hit her and all she knew was that she had to get to her car quickly. The stuff she had left at her Auntie Ron's was all replaceable so she didn't need to go back for anything. She just had to leave. Jessica began walking through the crowd, petrified that she would be found by the one person she feared being found by the most. The one person who didn't even deserve to find her. The one person who had lost the right to find her 19 years ago. Jessica jumped as she felt a hand clasp around hers and pull her back to a reasonable walking pace. She looked up to see her Auntie Ronnie's concerned and confused looking face:

RONNIE: Jessie what's going on?

Jessica continued to walk fast in the direction of her car and Ronnie walked fast beside her, pleading for a reason.

JESSICA: I need to leave, now.

RONNIE: But _why_?? Max, what did he say?

Jessica said nothing. No doubt her aunt would find out but she had made her mind up and there was no changing it. Ronnie kept questioning, desperate to find out what had happened for her niece to change her mood so quickly, desperate to get her happy-go-lucky niece back. She had no idea what she'd do right now if this girl left her. She would have no one to talk to, no one to help her, no one to…mother:

RONNIE: How do you know Max? And Bradley? And…_Jack_?

Ronnie started to become breathless as she watched her determined niece powering through the crowd of Saturday shoppers. She grabbed Jessica's hand and forced her to a stop and Jessica reluctantly obliged as tears streamed down her face:

RONNIE: How do you know them Jessie?

Jessica took a shuddering deep breath as the tears continued to flow and she looked at her aunt in disbelief that she hadn't worked it out yet, looking around for someone every so often:

JESSICA: Don't you remember them at all??

Ronnie looked at her niece's blue teary eyes and couldn't understand. She couldn't even find the words to comfort her before Jessica cut in:

JESSICA: You remember my 7th birthday party? When…

RONNIE: Wasn't that the one where Ruby was fed your cake by some idiots?

Jessica nodded:

RONNIE: Then your Dad had a go at them for doing it?

Jessica nodded again:

JESSICA: It was Bradley and _your_ Jack!

Ronnie frowned, confused by the information. If Jack had been there surely she would've remembered. Or would she? After all, she had spent most of that party sat outside on a swing wading through a bottle of vodka as she imagined what her daughter was doing for her seventh birthday.

JESSICA: Dad had sent a party invitation to Mum and for the first time _ever_ she actually turned up...for some _crazy_ reason she brought Max, Bradley, Jack and Lauren…

Jessica took a deep shuddering breath before continuing as Ronnie slowly remembered the two lads that Drew had yelled at:

JESSICA: Bradley and his Uncle had got drunk and fed my cake to Ruby then dad told them off which is when Max stepped in.

Jessica put a hand up to her head as she remembered the whole situation:

_DREW: You morons! You've ruined the whole cake!_

_BRADLEY: Well we didn't ruin it, her stupid dog did!_

_Bradley pointed a big podgy finger at Jessica who was in floods of tears as she tried to talk to Ruby, begging her to spit the cake out. Drew turned on Jack who was standing next to Bradley, swaying slightly from the amount of laughing he had just done in the space of five minutes._

_DREW: And you! You should know better! You're a grown man who's just made a seven year old girl cry!_

_Jack smirked, hardly caring about the situation and Drew's blood boiled as he grabbed Jack's shirt:_

_DREW: Oh you think that's funny do you?!_

_MAX: Oi, oi, oi!_

_Max stepped between the two men, trying to keep the tension low. It had been really awkward day for all of them - having to be in the same room as his wife's first daughter and his wife's ex was awkward enough for him without his brother and son making the day worse. And the fact that Tanya and Drew had been arguing nonstop the whole day hadnt helped things..._

_MAX: Look, they're sorry, I'm sorry, Tan's sorry so lets just leave it yeah? For Jessica's sake?_

_Drew looked from Max's face over to his little girl who was sitting down at the table, crying as she held a piece of shredded ribbon that had once been round the cake. He then looked over at Tanya who was sitting on the other side of the table, looking nervously at her distraught seven year old as a two year old Lauren wriggled about in her arms. He was so annoyed with his ex, annoyed that she couldn't even move to give their daughter a cuddle, let alone a kiss or some words of comfort. He would have to do that himself. And in one swift move he let go of Jack, moved over and sat Jessica on his lap, glaring at Tanya whilst hushing and cradling their daughter until her crying began to subside and she slowly fell asleep. He glanced over at Max who had sat next to Tanya and taken Lauren in his own arms. Drew gave him a nod of 'thanks' and Max reciprocated a 'your welcome' nod as both men cuddled their respective daughter, leaving Tanya watching on._

RONNIE: So you're telling me that Tanya Branning is your…

Ronnie's sentence faded as she saw Jessica turn and lock her eyes on someone, her face dropping.

JESSICA: …Mum.

The words rang in Ronnie's head as she looked from her niece who had frozen on the spot, to a familiar figure who ran to a stop a few meters before them with Max closely following. Jessica's heart beated faster and faster. She hadn't seen her in over 13 years but had recognised her in a second. There, stood before her was her Mum, and Jessica had no idea what to do next.

Tanya Branning stood breathless from the run she had made from her salon over towards the café where Max had told her that her eldest daughter had just left. The sight of her not-so-little girl who stood before her, took her breath away. She was so different to when she had last seen her as a mere seven year old. She now had bright blonde hair (which Tanya could only guess she must have dyed) but she still had the bright blue eyes of her father and had the 'Cross' busty figure that Tanya had always possessed, which she had managed to inherit from her Mum too. Tanya felt nervous. When she was young, not long after Jessica had been born, she had barely looked after herself so there was no way she could've looked after a child too. She had given it her best shot and failed, but knew that leaving Jessica with Drew was the best thing for their little girl. But Jessica had never seen it that way, and Tanya knew that. That's why she had made sure to distance herself from her - for Jessica's own good - so Jessica could forget her and move on without her failure of a mother interferring. But now, Tanya had to admit, distance may not have been the best cure for her inability to be a good mother. It had only made the wounds deeper in their mother/daughter relationship - what very little of it was there.

Jessica took a deep breath but couldn't tear her eyes away from her mother. She held so much hatred for this woman but she couldn't help admire how beautiful she was, despite having had two children - herself and Lauren. There was nothing she wanted to say to her. If her mother wanted to be in her life now, if she wanted to beg and grovel for forgiveness, then she was about 19 years too late.

JESSICA: I want to go back to yours.

Ronnie jumped at the sound of her niece's voice. She was still in shock that Jessica's mother - someone who she had heard such horrible things about, someone who had dabbled in drink and drugs whilst having a baby only to leave it with the father so she could "live her life", someone who she _loathed_ - was actually Tanya Branning, someone who Ronnie hadn't had a problem with, someone who Ronnie considered to be a doting mother to her kids, someone who Ronnie had actually been _jealous_ of because Tanya had this world that she desired - a life with a husband and children.

Ronnie was so confused but could feel the tension between the two women, despite the public place. She may be a different woman now, but if Tanya was still the mother to Jessica that she had always been, then Ronnie knew that it was no good keeping the two of them together. She felt Jessica take her hand. Ronnie saw this as a sign that her niece felt protected around her, and protection was what Ronnie was going to give:

RONNIE: Come on then, I'll put the kettle on.

Tanya's heart fell and tears started to well up in her eyes as she watched Ronnie Mitchell put an arm around her daughter and guide her little girl away from her.

* * *

**Gee whiz that was a long time coming! Well there you have it. Tanya Branning an irresponsible mother - who'd have thought it :)**

**Next chapter should be up soon but I need to find good enough material to follow up this chapter. The more comments and feedback I get, the more I want to write, so chances are I'd update sooner - sorry :)**

**Hope you liked this chapter and hope you thought the twist was good enough! Did anyone guess the twist before this chapter? - Soph xxx**


	10. Two Hours

**Thanks again everyone for your great feedback! It really helps motivate me :)**

*** * ***

Jack sighed as he stepped through the door of his flat then paused as he noticed a familiar handbag slumped on the work surface of the kitchen, that stood next to the front door. His heart leapt as he hoped that he wasn't imagining it, that Ronnie really _would_ be in the flat, sitting, waiting for him. He took a deep breath, closed the door behind him and proceeded to the living room where, as expected, Ronnie was sat on the sofa. But as Jack gave her a little smile to reassure her that she had made the right decision to visit him, he realised that she looked confused and unhappy.

JACK: Ron are you okay?

Ronnie looked up from her hands that were laying on her stomach as she slouched on the sofa, up to the concerned look on Jack's face. She had to hand it to him, he had said and done some rotten things to her in the past but she could always be assured that he would always care about her. She stared into his eyes blankly, with no colour to her voice:

RONNIE: She's in the spare room.

Jack looked over to the door of the spare room, not entirely sure who Ronnie was talking about, though he had a sneaky suspicion who:

JACK: Who's in the spare room?

Ronnie sighed and sat up as Jack slowly walked towards her, then also took a seat on the sofa, not taking his eyes off her once.

RONNIE: Jessie. The second we got back to the flat she was sick in the bathroom then shut herself in the spare room.

Ronnie looked at Jack with concern, hoping that he would be able to understand the situation and her voice became a hush:

RONNIE: Jack, she's been in there for almost two hours.

Jack exhaled loudly. It wasn't like Ronnie to show that she didn't know how to do something, and it was clear that she had no idea what to do now. He tried to vision what Jessica looked like, but he couldn't because for some reason the blurry figure of what he _thought_ Jessica looked like always seemed to turn into all he could remember of Danielle. Small, blonde and venerable - which, from the angry, cold outburst he received from her earlier, he didn't think Jessica was like at all. He looked at Ronnie and felt sorry for her. No matter how much she denied it, he knew that Jessica was important to her for one particular reason, it was her chance to mother someone who looked very much like her daughter had done. But from the looks of things, Ronnie wasn't doing too good a job so far.

JACK: Well what have you said or done for her to do that then?

Ronnie raised her eyebrows, appalled that Jack had presumed this was all her fault:

RONNIE: Me?! I haven't done _anything_!

Jack sighed again, knowing that winding Ronnie up wasn't a good move if he wanted to talk to her properly at some point about what had happened to them a couple of days ago. He desperately wanted to get back together with her again, but he couldn't let his desperation show - a sign of weakness in any scrap of a relationship they had left. He quietened his voice to show he cared:

JACK: Well if it wasn't you then who was it?

Ronnie took a deep breath to regain control of her emotions. Biting Jack's head off wasn't going to make anything better, especially as Jessica was only in the room next door and could possibly hear their conversation. She didn't want to upset her niece anymore than she already was. She lowered her voice and leaned towards Jack:

RONNIE: It was…_Tanya_.

Jack's brow furrowed as he tried to work out how on earth Tanya had anything to do with Ronnie's niece. It didn't make any sense.

* * *

Jessica turned onto her back and sighed heavily as she stared up at the ceiling from the bed which she laid on. She looked over and checked the digital clock that sat on the windowsill beside the bed. She had been in the spare room for over two hours, listening to the sounds coming from the street, the slight rumble from the tube and the recent mumbles coming from the living room which she presumed meant Jack had returned home. She wasn't surprised that her Aunt was still okay to stay here, despite the current friction she had with Jack, it was clear Ronnie still had feelings for Jack and her still living with him showed that, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Jessica tried to remember all the things she had been thinking about in the time that she had had in the small, brightly decorated spare room, coming to the conclusion that she hadn't been thinking about an awful lot. There was just one image that kept floating around and around in her mind - that one glimpse of her mother on the street earlier. The image Jessica had had of her mother before today, the image from her 7th birthday, was a bit of a blur. It had been so long ago that she had began to forget what she looked like…she didn't even know what she _sounded_ like. She couldn't remember her Mum talking to her much back then. It was this thought, this knowledge of neglect from her mother that made tears spring to her eyes.

Jessica wasn't denying that her dad hadn't brought her up fantastically; always teaching her right from wrong, giving her love and attention throughout her childhood, helping her with her homework, giving her advice and enough freedom so she could live her life to the full. But there was love that only a mother could ever give. A love that she had never truly received. She rummaged underneath her pillow and pulled out a worn old photo that had been folded and unfolded a million times. As she stared at it, thinking back to all the times she had carried this photo around with her, taking quick glances at it, trying to keep the image of her happy, exhausted teenage mother holding her as a newborn baby in her arms. There were dark shadows under Tanya's eyes and Jessica had to admit, her mother hadn't looked well in this photo, but at the end of the day she was still her mother - a fact that she had always hated.

Jessica turned her head towards the door as she heard a light tapping on it, and she placed the photo gently back under her pillow as her Auntie Ronnie nervously opened the door and slowly stepped into the room, a small look of apology on her face for interrupting her. Ronnie watched as Jessica said nothing but turned to stare at the ceiling then moved over so there was a space on the bed for her. Ronnie's heart leapt slightly, relieved that this small action was a way of Jessica letting her in, a way of letting her know that she could talk to her.

_JACK: Ronnie you've __got__ to talk to her._

_RONNIE: Jack she's like me - more than you could ever imagine - she'll never open up! She keeps things to herself!_

_Ronnie couldn't believe that Jack was suggestion she should confront her niece. That she should walk into that spare room and stay there until she talked. That may be the Branning way of life. But the Mitchell's…they tended to keep themselves to themselves unless it was a matter of life or death - __then__ they banded together to sort out any problems. She stared helplessly into his eyes, not caring that she had revealed a lot of venerability to him, he was used to being the only who could see it. She sighed loudly and raised a hand to her forehead, flipping her fringe aside to show her frustration:_

_RONNIE: So you think she'll talk to me if I just waltz in there?_

_JACK: Yeah, I do. Come on Ron, you're her Aunt - and by the sounds of things you're the closest member of family she has in Walford right now._

_RONNIE: What closer than her __Mum__?_

_Jack rolled his eyes, fully aware that the recent revelation had taken its toll on Ronnie just as much as it had seemingly done to Jessica._

_JACK: You know what I mean. She needs you. If you cant talk to her for her then do it for you._

_He looked deep into her eyes and Ronnie melted as he took her hand._

_RONNIE: How do you mean?_

_JACK: She needs a motherly figure right now. Someone who can give her a cuddle, who can tell her that everything's going to be okay…_

_RONNIE: …but…_

_JACK: …__even__ if it isn't going to be okay. She needs someone to talk to. And you know that you're perfect for all those things._

_Ronnie couldn't help but smile as she thought about what Jack had said. She __was__ perfect for the job. She could be anything Jessica wanted her to be. Just like she had promised Danielle after she had died - that she could've been and would've done __anything__ for her, like any mother should._

Slowly, Ronnie approached the bed and laid on it, choosing not to look at her niece, but to look at the ceiling like her niece was. They both said nothing, neither knowing really what to say. They had both received a shock. A very similar shock. Ronnie was about to speak, hoping to break the ice, but she stopped and thought back to what Jack had said: _Someone who can give her a cuddle, who can tell her that everything's going to be okay… _Ronnie looked over at her niece who had tears in her eyes whilst slowly running her fingers over her belly, clearly deep in thought as she stared at the ceiling. Thinking from a mother's perspective, Ronnie put her arm around her niece and pulled her into a cuddle. She felt Jessica silently begin to cry and she kept her voice to a hush:

RONNIE: Everything's going to be okay.

* * *

**I am ****so**** aware I'm not sticking to Eastenders facts and I'm sorry if there are a few holes in the storyline :)**

**Hope you all liked this chapter - its getting tricky for me to write them, I've got so many twists still to come but I'm trying to find ways of bulking them out into steady and reasonable chapters :)**

**Comments and feedback really appreciated! Soph xxx**


	11. Can I Help You?

Tanya stood outside the front door of number 29 Albert Square hesitant as to whether ringing the bell would be a good idea. So many thoughts had been flying through her mind non-stop over the past couple of hours since she had seen Jessica.

_MAX: Tan, look you need to sit down._

_Max watched his wife pacing up and down the living room frantically, with one hand on her hip the other on her forehead._

_TANYA: I mean, why is she even here?! What was I supposed to say to her, eh Max?_

_Max sighed and leaned back on the sofa he was sat on, as he continued to watch her pace up and down. He had no idea himself about any of the rhetorical questions she had been asking him, and he thought it best that he didn't interrupt her - she needed to let go of some steam:_

_TANYA: "Oh hi sweetheart - sorry I've been so distant of late, but I felt it'd do you good if I didn't speak to you for years!"_

_Tanya stopped her sarcasm and looked at Max stressfully:_

_TANYA: I don't know about you Max, but I have a feeling she wouldn't take that well!_

_She sighed loudly and put her hands up to her face, her voice becoming muffled as she spoke into them:_

_TANYA: Ugh, how could I have made this into such a mess??_

_Max sat up as Tanya hands flew down onto her hips, wondering if he was meant to answer this question, but she continued rambling:_

_TANYA: I have to talk to her. I have to know why she's here. I need to explain why I left her. She needs to know the truth… that I did it for her own good._

_She scowled as she thought things through further and she began to pace again:_

_TANYA: No doubt her father's told her all the reasons why I left, but I bet most of them are false. She must have the wrong idea about me and __that's__ why she walked away earlier._

_Max continued to watch Tanya. He knew how hurt she had been by her actions she had made when she was a kid. But that was just it, she had only been a kid and it was all in the past. People should be able to move on. He remembered what Tanya was like when he had first met her. She was just eighteen, a rebel who had ran away from home at fourteen to live with her boyfriend at the time, only for her to break up with him because she had got involved with drugs. He knew she had had a child very young, but that hadn't put him off. Now looking at the whole situation though, Max could see it from Jessica's point of view, not that he was going to admit it to his wife. Tanya had had a million opportunities over the past twenty years to see her daughter, and she had dismissed almost all of them. Now all that was left was a broken relationship: a broken daughter, and a broken mother both without a hope in the world._

_MAX: Well I'd go find her if I were you and try to explain. Start building the bridge again…_

_Tanya paused and looked at her husband, afraid of the words that she knew were going to come from his mouth:_

_MAX: So you'd better head over to Jack and Ronnie's - you know she'll be there._

It wasn't that Tanya was afraid of Ronnie so much. It was more of the fact that she had heard about how protective Ronnie could be over anybody she felt close to, and from the looks of earlier on, Ronnie seemed close to Jessica. Tanya took a deep breath and slowly raised a finger to press the door bell, mentally preparing herself for an argument - anything to get her through that door and up to her daughter, but a cold voice from behind her made her jump:

RONNIE: Can I help you?

Tanya looked around to see a stern looking Ronnie Mitchell with MinuteMart bags in her hand, staring at her with her sharp blue eyes. There was immediate tension in the air as Tanya stumbled to find something to say:

TANYA: I…erm…I need to see her.

* * *

JACK: Beer?

He looked from the fridge that he was stood by, over to Jessica who was sat on the sofa staring blankly at the news on the TV. She hadn't been out of the spare bedroom for long but she and her aunt had had a nice chat in there, talking about lots of different things including how she felt about her life, her mum and the current situation she was in. Jessica realised just how wise and sensible her Auntie Ronnie was. She had so much good advice that Jessica had felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She turned to Jack and shook her head slowly. She still wasn't keen about him and chose to keep as far away from him as possible until she could read him, understand him and trust him. She had a feeling it'd take a while. Jack, however, got a beer out for himself then moved into the living room. He reached into a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of Vodka, wondering whether she really was as alike to Ronnie as Ronnie claimed she was.

JACK: Vodka?

Jessica continued to stare at the TV, slouched on the sofa with her arms folded:

JESSICA: Why do you find it so hard to believe that I don't drink?

"Because you're a Mitchell" Jack was so tempted to answer with, but he didn't. He had been given two orders by Ronnie, who had popped out to get them some food and necessities for dinner: he had to keep an eye on her niece and if she was sick again, he would have to help her if she needed help - oh and he had to make a note of any food or drink that made Jessica feel sick - he wasnt entirely sure why though. Jack shook his head, not sure what he had done to get roped into niece-sitting. He walked round the room and sat on the sofa next to Jessica, making sure there was plenty of space between them. They sat in silence for a while, watching some news article that was talking about two new Panda cubs that had been born in a zoo in China.

JESSICA: I know what you're thinking.

Jack felt nervous, hoping that Jessica wasn't some weird girl who practiced freaky voodoo and Ronnie had just failed to mention it. It had just been the way she'd said it:

JESSICA: You're thinking "what did I do to get stuck in my own flat with her??"

Jack furrowed his brow about to protest to make her feel better but he relaxed when a small smile crept onto Jessica's face as she turned back to the TV.

JESSICA: We all do crazy things for love Jack, dont think you're the acception.

Jack couldn't help but smile too as he kept studying Ronnie's niece. It was weird to know that he had met this girl before, so many years ago, but not remembered what she looked like. Back then he would've never imagined that he would one day be in an on-off relationship with her aunt.

JACK: Sorry about the cake.

Jessica giggled, relieved that he had finally said sorry about something that had happened so many years ago. Maybe he wasnt so bad after all.

* * *

Ronnie raised her eyebrows, surprised and amused that Tanya seemed nervous. "She should be feeling nervous" Ronnie thought to herself, still trying to get used to the fact that Tanya had been the one that had left Jessica as a baby. Ronnie said nothing, but walked around Tanya, pulling the keys that she had in her hand up to the front door. As she turned the key in the lock and the door sprung open, Tanya grabbed Ronnie's arm and looked at her desperately:

TANYA: Ronnie _please_! You know what it's like… I need to speak to my daughter. I need to tell her everything's going to be okay.

Ronnie's frustration was close to boiling point and she stepped through the door so she towered over Tanya:

RONNIE: Well you needn't bother because I've already done that for you!

Ronnie began pulling the key out of the door, ready to close it and Tanya began to panic, realising that this window of opportunity was slowly closing:

TANYA: Please Ronnie! What if it were Danielle? What if Danielle arrived here and found you but she came to me instead?

Ronnie froze in disbelief that Tanya had brought up the subject of her daughter, someone who Tanya knew very little about other than the gossip that was always spread around the square. Tanya stepped back at little, knowing she had pushed the boundary with Ronnie, but still kept a strong face, despite her stomach doing cartwheels because she had just stood up to the great Ronnie Mitchell.

Ronnie took a deep breath, realising that she could understand better than anyone how Tanya was feeling. She hadn't known Danielle was around until it was too late. She had died before Ronnie had even got a chance to explain her mistakes; why she had done them, why she had given her up at birth; and before she even got a chance to tell her that she loved her. That was a guilt trip that Ronnie would have to live with her whole life. For Tanya though, she wouldn't have to have that guilt trip should she be let into this flat. But Ronnie had to stay true to her niece's wishes, her voice softened as she didn't let her guard down but wanted to let Tanya know she knew how she was feeling:

RONNIE: I'm sorry Tanya, but Jessie _has_ said she doesn't want to see you. I have to respect her wishes.

Tanya's heart sank as she watched Ronnie slowly begin to close the door. She lurched forward to try and keep the door open:

TANYA: Please Ronnie, _please_! I have to tell her how sorry I am! I have to tell her why I did it! I---

But Tanya stopped begging as the door slammed shut and she was left outside, completely distraught that she hadn't got the chance to speak to her daughter, her firstborn, her Jessica.

* * *

**Right… ****now**** I promise I'm going to take some time to update my other fic as many people have requested I do so…its just so tricky with work :)**

**Hope you liked this chapter. I didn't so much, but like I say I'm trying to build up to the other twists :)**

**Comments and Feedback appreciated as always and I'll try and update soon! Many thanks guys, Soph xxx**


	12. Roses

Jessica kept her fingers clenched around the edge of the net curtains that she had held back to look at the sight below whilst Jack was doing some washing up in the kitchen. Her aunt stood on the top step that led to the front door of the building as Jessica's mother seemed to protest - Jessica could presume what it was about.

Alarm bells were beginning to ring in her head. It was hard to see how her aunt was acting towards Tanya from the view she had of the top of her head. What if Ronnie would let her Mum in? What if Jack was okay with having Tanya come into the flat? What if he and her aunt left her and her Mum alone so they could talk? What would her Mum say to her? What would she say to her Mum? There was a tiny part of Jessica that was curious to know the answer to her own questions, but her mind was screaming at her aunt not to let that woman into the building.

Her heart leapt as she saw her Mum lurch forward to follow her aunt through the door, but to her relief Tanya didn't step through the threshold, and Jessica could tell that her Auntie Ronnie had stood firm - there was no way her Mum was getting to her at that precise moment in time.

She watched as Tanya walked slowly down the steps, and Jessica took a deep breath of relief as she heard her aunt put a key through the door and enter the flat. Jessica continued to look down at her mother, a small part of her feeling guilty. The fact that Tanya had come to confront her, to talk to her even with the knowledge that she would have to get past Ronnie first, gave Jessica a small sign of hope that maybe her mother _did_ care. She watched as Tanya reached the gate at the end of the path then turn and look up at the flat. Jessica froze, not knowing what to do as her mother gave her a sad smile and a small wave, then turn to walk up the street.

RONNIE: Are you okay?

Jessica slowly let go of the curtain and turned to see her aunt looking at her with a concerned expression on her face as she placed the bags on the worktop in the kitchen. Jessica sighed and forced a smile as she walked into the kitchen to join Ronnie and Jack:

JESSICA: Yeah. Thanks…you know…for not letting her in.

Ronnie smiled understandingly and stroked her niece's shoulder:

RONNIE: No problem.

Ronnie's smile faded as she tried to find the words to say what she needed to say to her niece:

RONNIE: Jessie…

Jessica's stomach twisted as she looked up to see her aunt's face recoil back into the concerned expression she had seen moments ago:

RONNIE: She really wants to talk to you. She said she wants to explain.

Ronnie crumbled as she watched her niece's face fall for the umteenth time that day and she imagined the cogs whirring inside Jessica's head, she wondered what she was thinking. Jessica was in a tricky position now, the ball was in her court. Her mother was willing to see her and speak to her for what seemed to be the first time in Jessica's life. All Jessica had to do was give the okay.

Ronnie watched on as tears began to spring into her niece's eyes and she panicked, wanting to make the hurt go away, not wanting her words to be the cause of her upset. She frantically looked over at Jack who was purposefully unloading the bags, desperately trying not to listen to their conversation - Ronnie knew he hated having to hear about women's problems at the best of times, least of all when he was the only guy around. She quickly wrenched a box of Roses from Jack's hands that he had just taken out of the bag, and held them up before her niece's eyes. It was very patronising, and Ronnie felt like a mother trying desperately hard to stop her child from crying. To her relief a small smile grew on Jessica's face and she wasn't sure whether it was because of the chocolates or the change in conversation. Either way, Ronnie was relieved that that smile was starting to grow back on her niece's face again.

* * *

**Apologies for the very small and very random chapter, especially after such a long wait. I've been SOOOOOO busy over the past few weeks - sorry!**

**Hope this was okay… I should hopefully have updates for both fics soon!**

**Much love, Soph xxx**


	13. Between Two Dictionaries

**Apologies if some information in this story is incorrect or slightly away from the truth - remember its only fiction :) xxx**

*** * ***

The birds were chirping and there was a silent rumble as the early morning tube shot passed the street. Jessica turned on her side and stared at the clock on her bedside cabinet. It was 6.30 in the morning. She yawned and thought about the one conversation she had been thinking and worrying about non-stop throughout her restless night:

_Jessica sat, her legs curled underneath her body, on the sofa, staring at the TV whilst Ronnie mirrored the position in the space next to her. Jessica could feel herself being watched and turned to face her aunt, who's sharp eyes were on her, trying to read her. She saw a look of amazement on Ronnie's face._

_JESSICA: What?_

_Ronnie raised her eyebrows, giggling with a bemused grin on her face, unable to believe what she had just witnessed in the short space of about 15 minutes:_

_RONNIE: You've practically inhaled a whole box of chocolates that's what!_

_Jessica shrugged, knowing full well the reason behind her actions. It wasn't entirely her fault. Then again, she couldn't exactly tell her aunt the truth so she slowly turned back to the TV._

_JESSICA: I was hungry._

_Ronnie continued to study her niece with a furrowed brow. There was something odd about her, something that Ronnie couldn't quite put a finger on. Either way, she made a small note of Jessica's behaviour, one of many she had been storing in her mind, so that when the time came she could talk to her niece about whatever it was she had concluded. Suddenly Ronnie felt her phone vibrate on the arm of the sofa and she reached over to pick it up:_

_I hear rumours ur back in the square. Fancy a catch-up? Rox xx_

_Ronnie looked up from her phone and back over to her niece who was still staring intently at the screen. She had already left Jessica in the flat alone and she didn't want to do it again. She didn't want to make her feel neglected, especially as she had neglected her so much as a child. So she could only think of one other option:_

_RONNIE: Fancy popping over to see your Auntie Roxy?_

_Ronnie half expected her niece's face to light up at the suggestion, after all Roxy had always been Jessica's favourite aunt growing up, there was no reason why this question would be a bad thing. But to Ronnie's surprise, Jessica's mouth twitched unsurely as she turned to look at her again._

_JESSICA: Erm…I'd really rather stay here._

_Ronnie couldn't believe her ears. She thought of all the people her niece would want to see it would be her Auntie Roxy:_

_RONNIE: But…you haven't seen Roxy in ages! It'd be such a nice surprise for her to see you! She'd love it, I know she would._

_Jessica didn't say anything and Ronnie watched as her niece sighed, uncurled her legs from underneath her body and rested her hands on her tummy again. Ronnie wasn't sure if she could find the right words to persuade her niece to change her mind:_

_RONNIE: Look if this is about her, Jack and Amy…well I don't want you to disown her because of all that. It…well it was a simple mistake on her behalf. We all make them. And I'm on the way to forgiving her for what she did, I think you should too---_

_Ronnie was interrupted by Jessica, who could tell her aunt was beginning to dig a hole in the conversation:_

_JESSICA: ---its not that. I just…I haven't seen her in so long. I haven't even met Amy, so---_

_RONNIE: ---so now is the perfect time to do so._

_Jessica sighed as she realised just how strong-willed her aunt actually was. She was too tired and too stressed to argue, so she relinquished control of the situation, and slowly shrugged and nodded, to which Ronnie smiled and turned back to the phone to send a reply. Jessica's stomach felt as though it was knotting. The idea of meeting her youngest aunt again, knowing what she knew this time around, keeping a secret from her that could possibly ruin their aunt/niece relationship was what made Jessica so nervous. She turned back to the TV as the noise of a flush came from the bathroom and Jack walked back into the living room to resume his position in the armchair that sat beside Ronnie. Ronnie's phone went off again and she read the message._

_RONNIE: She's free tomorrow at 10..._

Jessica gently turned over onto her other side and laid with her eyes closed, trying desperately hard to get to sleep again. But her other senses had enhanced with her brief loss of sight and it only took the sound of the milk float trundling down the street for Jessica to sigh loudly in frustration and slowly sit up. She gave a wide yawn as she rubbed her eyes and sleepily looked around the room. It suddenly dawned on Jessica that she hadn't really taken in much of the room since she had entered the flat the previous day. So much had happened since then, she had so much on her mind that she hadn't even noticed the stylish bookshelf that lay hidden away in a small corner of the room. Jessica reached underneath her pillow, looked at her phone to see if she had received a message from her boyfriend to no avail. So, in an attempt to distract herself from the time and her lack of sleep, she gently got out of bed in an upright position and shuffled over to the bookshelf, stepping over her bag on the way, which was slumped lazily on the floor.

Jessica raised a hand and glossed a finger tenderly across the spines of the covers, not really paying attention to the titles or authors. Then she stopped, as her finger felt a bunch of papers tightly wedged in between two large dictionaries. Jessica looked around, unsure why she did as she knew nobody else was in the room, then edged the sheets from between the two books. Her mouth opened in curiosity as she

studied the contents of the papers. An A5 white envelope with an A5 yellow piece of paper were paper clipped to a few sheets of neatly kept paper, the top sheet (once Jessica had lifted the paper clipped items) read

APPLICATION FORM - BARMAN - CLUB R&R

As she scanned the handwriting below she quickly realised it had belonged to her best friend, her cousin. She read the name over and over 'Danielle Jayne Jones'. A small shiver shot down her spine. It was strange holding something that had once been in the possession of a dead person when they were alive. But not only that, a person that she had known so well. Jessica sighed, emotion began to build up inside her, but it was stopped from releasing by her tiredness. She slowly moved over and sat on a chair that stood before a dressing table on the other side of the bedroom. With a careful hand, Jessica pulled away the envelope from the bunch of papers and gently pulled out its contents onto the table. A very small curious smile crept onto her face as she inspected the items. The first was a passport photo of Danielle, a recent one, which Jessica gathered her cousin had attached to her application form as a way of 'standing out from the crowd'. She couldn't believe how similar Danielle looked to her Auntie Ronnie in that picture, and felt that her aunt must have been blind not to have noticed the similarities. Then again, Ronnie had thought her daughter dead, so it hadn't been something she'd been looking out for. The next item was a folded up leaflet 'Pregnant and don't know what to do?'. Jessica frowned as she unfolded the leaflet and looked at it, not entirely sure why this was in the same envelope. But as she inspected it closer her face dropped and she read the unmistakable handwriting of her cousin again:

Tues 3rd Feb 3.30pm

Jessica could feel her heart beginning to race. Had her cousin been pregnant when she died? Why hadn't she told her? Had her aunt known? Jessica felt her stomach twist as she imagined how her aunt must have felt when she had found this leaflet. It must be bad enough losing a child, but a grandchild too. No wonder her Aunt was a bit emotionally unstable.

Jessica brought a hand up to her belly and muttered quietly:

JESSICA: Sorry, sorry. It's just really intense stuff.

She took a deep breath to calm her body down a bit, then reached over to take the last couple of things that had fallen out of the envelope. On the palm of her hand was a hair slide that had a delicate silver/pastel-pink flower shining from it, and a pair of silver star-shaped ear studs, that glimmered in the light that had begun to seep between the curtains. Jessica could only guess from the rest of the collection of items that they must have belonged to her cousin Danni. They must be some sort of significance to her Auntie Ronnie, but she wasn't entirely sure what significance that was. Gently, Jessica leaned over and put each item, individually back into the envelope, before returning it to it's original place - paper clipped to the sheets.

She then reached out and pulled towards her the A5 piece of yellow paper. On it was the ever recognisable handwriting of her Auntie Ronnie's, with the heading

Interview #26 - Danielle Jones

Random notes had been jotted down: 'incapable to remember drinks', 'likely to be unorganised', 'not confident enough!!' and Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry for her Aunt who probably, without a doubt, looked back on this piece of paper over and over again in hindsight, with nothing but regret. It was this evidence here, that confirmed Jessica's assumption that her Aunt had been the same cold, distant, closed character towards Danni as she had been towards her throughout her childhood.

Jessica's belly began to rumble and she rolled her eyes, feeling that breakfast would need to be sorted very soon if she wished to keep anything down that day. So with another long sigh, she pushed her long blonde fringe out of her eyes and carefully collected the papers together then slowly stood up and walked back over to the bookshelf. But as she reached out, a small newspaper cutting fluttered out from between the sheets and landed on the floor in front of her. Jessica bent down, picked up the cutting, and frowned as she tried to work out how _this_ was of such importance. For the second time in a matter of minutes her stomach twisted again as she read a tiny little box, three boxes down from the title "deaths":

DANIELLE JONES 26/06/89 - 02/04/09

To my baby, we'll meet again one day for Breakfast at Tiffany's

Love forever your Mum xxx

Jessica took a deep breath as she read the lines over and over again. This tiny square of newspaper, with what seemed like meaningless words, was that small bit of light that proved just how nice, loving and caring her Aunt actually was and could be. Jessica almost wanted to hug it, she felt so much for Ronnie. After one more glance at the final line, she put the cutting back where it belonged and placed the sheets back between the two dictionaries, making a note to look at it again before she went back home.

She shuffled to the door of the bedroom and gently turned the handle, praying desperately that she wouldn't disturb anyone else in the flat. Ronnie and Jack still hadn't reconciled - much to Jessica's relief, who hadn't really welcomed the idea of having to put a pillow over her head so as to block out any bumps, thuds or noises that may have come from their room had they done so. They had spent enough time last night arguing who should sleep on the sofa and who should have the bedroom.

_JACK: Seriously Ronnie, I insist!_

_RONNIE: Jack, this is your flat, so you should have your own room. I really don't mind sleeping on the sofa!_

Jessica grinned as she remembered how easily Jack had backed down to her Aunt. Then again, once Ronnie had put her foot down there was never any way to change her mind, not even by Mr Tall-Dark-and-Handsome. She entered the living room area, half-expecting to see her aunt sprawled out on the sofa like she had been at Jessica's the night before. But to her surprise, Ronnie wasn't there. Jessica suddenly felt a little sick with the thought that maybe her aunt and Jack _had_ made up and were now curled up in bed together. She felt her belly rumble again as she approached the kitchen and she brought her hands up to her belly looking at it and giggling as she whispered:

JESSICA: I'm going as fast as I can to the fridge! Seriously, you're not gonna give me a single break today little man are you…

She trailed off and froze as she looked up to see her Auntie Ronnie, nursing a mug of coffee in her hands, staring at Jessica in surprise. Jessica's heart jumped into her mouth and her arms flew down to her sides as she watched her Aunt glance at her belly before holding eye contact and raising her eyebrows seriously.

RONNIE: Is there something you need to tell me?

*******

**Oops! Well a couple of you had guessed already :)**

**Next chapter will involve Roxy, who is the keeper of yet **_**another**_** twist in the tale…not that she knows it :D**

**Shockingly I'd originally only written about 900 words for this chapter…wwwwelllll that soon increased to about 2300 so enjoy :)**

**Comments and feedback really REALLY appreciated! Soph xxx**

**oh P.S. - if you get the chance, go to see The Time Traveler's Wife - a totally fab chick flick!**


	14. Coco Pops

Jessica dashed across the living room and ducked quickly into the spare bedroom with the hope of not waking Jack - who, as his snoring confirmed, was asleep in the main bedroom of the flat. She shuffled straight over to the bookshelf, hardly able to believe what had just happened.

_Jessica's heart began to race as her aunt looked back at her patiently, with an expectant expression on her face. As she felt Ronnie's blue eyes lock with hers, there was something about her soft face that calmed Jessica somewhat. She hadn't expected to have to tell her about her pregnancy till after the baby was born - foolish really as all Mitchell's were renowned for their sharp observation - but she had hoped that if she wore enough baggy clothes, and controlled her morning sickness as much as possible then her eldest aunt wouldn't find out. Jessica sighed as the prolonged silence became too much for her and she slowly walked to the fridge. As she pulled out the milk she felt the fingers of her aunt wrap around her hand that clung to the carton. She looked up but Ronnie wasn't looking at her, instead her eyes were focused on the milk, her face was still soft but her voice had a touch of aggravation in it:_

_RONNIE: Go on, take a seat. I'll sort you out with some breakfast._

_Jessica put the milk down and did as she was told, as her aunt reached into a cupboard and pulled out a plastic jug. She couldn't help but feel stunned by Ronnie's reaction. She'd expected her aunt's attitude to turn cold, distant with lots of angry yelling about how Jessica had kept it from her. But instead, her Auntie Ronnie was surprisingly calm as she poured the milk into the jug and popped it into the microwave._

_There was silence but for the whirring of the machine in the corner of the work surface and even though Ronnie was stood with her back to her, Jessica could tell this had come as a bit of a shock to her aunt. Jessica felt nervous and began fiddling with a looped string that hung from the hood of her green baggy jumper. She didn't want this pregnancy to become a fresh load of baggage for her aunt - but why should it? She had a boyfriend who was giving her his full support and of course her Dad was thrilled to bits at the thought of having a grandson.. No sooner had the microwave 'pinged', Jessica had made the decision that she would stay in Walford for another couple of days, in the hope that it would only take her Aunt that long to get her feet firmly on the ground again and make up with Jack, then she would return home to her loving boyfriend and her caring father. To normality. Where no immediate or distant relatives would pop up from nowhere after years of no contact._

_Jessica watched as her aunt picked out the jug of hot milk, placed it next to an empty bowl, and with a shaky hand reached into another cupboard to pull out a brand new box of Coco Pops. Jessica couldn't help but smile slightly as she realised that her Aunt was concocting her favourite breakfast. She hadn't had it in ages._

_Ronnie placed the bowl of steaming hot Coco Pops in front of her niece and sat down, not taking her eyes off her once. Her niece was pregnant. Her niece, who was the same age as her deceased daughter, was __pregnant__. She couldn't believe it - it was like Danielle all over again._

_Jessica looked up at her Aunt then in an instant realised that Ronnie must have known about Danielle's pregnancy and could understand why her Aunt seemed so low about the recent revelation. She was going through exactly what Danielle would be going through had she not died. She…she was like Danielle, and she realised that her Aunt could see that too. Her mind whirred as she tried desperately to lighten the mood. There was no way she was letting the two of them start the day on a low: _

_JESSICA: Coco Pops with hot milk! My favourite!_

_Ronnie couldn't help but smile as she looked at the grin she had become all too familiar with over the past twenty years. _

_RONNIE: I know, I remember you always used to have it when we went round to see you and your Dad. We didn't have anything in the cupboards so when I went shopping yesterday I got you a box._

_Jessica raised her eyebrows as she concluded the cereal was the right temperature to eat. She prayed that her aunt hadn't bought a whole box with the hope that she might stay to finish it._

_JESSICA: I don't have it much anymore. I just cant believe you remembered!_

_Ronnie continued to smile, hoping her niece wouldn't catch on to how nervous she was about the new found information:_

_RONNIE: Well you're at your Auntie Ronnie's now. And it's my duty, as your Aunt, to spoil you rotten!_

_Jessica giggled slightly and Ronnie's heart leapt as she realised that her actions weren't making her niece sad, distressed, or leading her to consider taking vast actions about her pregnancy. Not like Danielle. And it was with this little giggle from her niece that gave Ronnie the confidence that she wasn't doing the wrong thing. That she could talk freely to her without any hesitation about letting any guards down, because neither women had their guards up._

_RONNIE: So…how far along are you?_

_Jessica finished her mouthful and looked up at her Auntie Ronnie, grinning with excitement like she always did when she was asked about her pregnancy:_

_JESSICA: Coming up for six months._

_Ronnie's mouth dropped and she couldn't help but look down at her niece's belly:_

_RONNIE: But…you don't look…_

_JESSICA: I'm __way__ more bigger than I used to be. Why do you think I'm wearing such baggy outfits on a hot summer's day?_

_She smiled as she pulled her boyfriend's green baggy jumper up over her belly and Ronnie raised her eyebrows as, sure enough, her niece revealed a sizeable bump. Ronnie sighed as Jessica pulled the jumper back down and continued to eat her cereal._

_RONNIE: I just thought you were…chubby…you know…I mean…not __chubby__…just…_

_Jessica held her hand up to stop her Aunt digging herself into an even bigger hole._

_JESSICA: I get what you mean. I know, I know…'I've got my mother's frame'…_

_Ronnie giggled slightly as Jessica said the last few words in a naggy-childish way and rolled her eyes, as though it were the last words she could ever want to hear in the world - and Ronnie could tell that her brother, Drew must have told her niece this once._

_JESSICA: …which basically means I'm gonna be chubby till I have the little munchkin then I'll slowly start to lose the weight, but I never will completely. Unlike you…_

_Ronnie's heart skipped a beat as her niece began to bring the subject of Danielle up again. Jessica scrunched her face up as though she was frustrated with herself:_

_JESSICA: …oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…_

_Ronnie smiled kindly:_

_RONNIE: It's okay. You're right, I am lucky that I had no baby weight to have to contend with after I had…_

_She trailed off and both women sat in silence, apart from the clinking noise Jessica made with her spoon whenever it scraped along the bowl. Ronnie watched as her blonde niece continued to eat her breakfast. It could have been so different. If she'd have not believed her Dad. If, the moment she'd first seen Danielle, she would've immediately known she was her daughter. If she'd known, she would've never advised Danielle to have an abortion. If she'd have known, things would be different and she would have two blonde, pregnant twenty year olds sitting before her. Ronnie smiled dreamily as she imagined what the scene would be like. They would all have been so happy. Ronnie would have made both her niece and daughter hot Coco Pops and the three of them would be giggling together with Jack asleep in the other room. Then again, if things would've been different would she and Jack be together? Would they have the added history that had been compiled over the past three months since Danielle's death?_

_Jessica watched as her Aunt's dreamy look faded to a look of hurt and confusion, and as tears sprung to Ronnie's eyes, Jessica realised there was no point in beating about the bush. She might as well ask the questions she'd been dying to ask. Get it all over and done with. Who knows, her Aunt may be able to move on…_

_JESSICA: So…what happened? With Danielle? I mean…was she pregnant when she died?_

_Ronnie looked up, surprised at the questions. She hadn't thought that Jessica had known about Danielle's pregnancy. Then again, they had been best friends. And the role of a best friend is that you can tell them anything._

_RONNIE: How did you…?_

_Jessica looked nervously at her Aunt, not really wanting to reveal that she'd been snooping around._

_JESSICA: Wait here._

Jessica gently retrieved the papers from between the two dictionaries again and then slowly walked back to her Aunt, who had remained seated in the kitchen.

JESSICA: I er… I was looking for a book to read cos I couldn't sleep this morning and…well I came across these.

She nervously revealed the papers to her Aunt and pushed them across the table towards her. Ronnie's eyes opened and her mouth dropped. Jessica could tell that nothing would be said so she continued:

JESSICA: In the envelope, there was a leaflet about being pregnant and it had Danni's handwriting on it…

As Jessica spoke, Ronnie reached into the envelope and pulled out the leaflet as though her niece was narrating. She unfolded it and glazed her finger over her daughter's handwriting, then sniffed as her nose began to run. Jessica watched as tears began to fall from her Aunt's eyes, but she continued to talk, knowing that whatever had happened her Auntie Ronnie had to talk about it. She had to let go of everything she had built up inside over the past months.

JESSICA: …So…was she pregnant?

Ronnie took a deep shuddering breath, nodded slowly then looked down at her coffee mug, too ashamed to catch her niece's eye.

RONNIE: She…was pregnant. She came to me for advice. I should have known there and then who she was but…

JESSICA: You couldn't have known. She hadn't told you. All you knew was that your daughter was dead.

Ronnie looked up to see her niece's sympathetic face but the tears continued to flow:

RONNIE: I know, but what sort of mother doesn't recognise her own daughter?!

Jessica didn't know how to answer her Aunt's question. The whole situation was still hard for her to grasp. Ronnie took a deep breath and continued:

RONNIE: Well I…I advised her to get an abortion. She had no support from her family. The father didn't want to be involved. She had a small job as a cleaner at the club - there was no way she could've coped! At least…that was what I thought at the time. But if I'd have known who she was I would've…well I would've supported her through and through.

Jessica watched as her Aunt continued to stare at the leaflet as she spoke and could tell her mind was whirring, thinking back to the way she had felt and was feeling now. She could tell that this was slowly becoming her Aunt's healing process, and she felt very privileged to be the route of closure for such a distant and private person.

RONNIE: And then…

Ronnie sobbed:

RONNIE: …I told her that having my baby was the biggest mistake of my life…I…I…

Ronnie began to stutter but she stopped when she felt her niece's hand on hers. She looked up to see Jessica with a calm, concerned and supportive look on her face.

JESSICA: It's okay. It's done. It's in the past. You can go over everything that happened over and over and over again. But the facts will never change.

Ronnie knew it was the truth. Everything Jessica was telling her right now was what Roxy, Jack, her Dad…what _everyone_ had told her before. But somehow hearing it from Jessica - someone who she had treated very similar to Danielle, someone who had known Danielle better than anyone, someone who was able to forgive her for everything - meant the world to Ronnie. This time she believed it. And she slowly nodded. As she continued to look at the leaflet a small smile appeared in the corner of her mouth:

RONNIE: That night, when I got home from the abortion clinic, I remember putting my hand in my jacket pocket and finding this in here. Danni…she must have put it in my pocket, when she was holding my jacket earlier in the day.

Jessica continued to look at her broken Aunt and spoke again with a soft voice:

JESSICA: She must have meant something to you back then, just as much as she does to you now - why else would you have kept it?

Ronnie shrugged then realised her niece was speaking some sense.

RONNIE: I suppose…no matter how many times I told her to go away…no matter how many times I tried to block her out, no matter how many times I shouted at her…in the end, she was always there. Right beside me.

Jessica continued to watch as her Aunt closed her eyes for a brief minute to remember something:

RONNIE: I remember…gosh it must have been Halloween. I'd had a lot to drink and my Dad had been taunting me. In fact, everyone had. I remember storming out of the pub completely outraged and upset. I walked back to my flat and just as I was about to go through the door she was outside the gate of my garden.

JESSICA: Danni?

Ronnie nodded slowly, smiling as she remembered.

RONNIE: She asked if I was okay - I suppose I had seemed a little distressed. But still…she was there.

There was a long pause before Jessica leant towards her Aunt, keeping her voice calm and low:

JESSICA: Why have you kept these things?

Jessica watched as her Aunt reached out, picked up the envelope and fished out the little hair slide that Jessica had inspected earlier. She held it up before her eyes, twisting it gently between her fingers, dreamily, as though it was the most delicate and enchanting thing in the world:

RONNIE: She wore this when she died.

Jessica's heart jumped into her mouth as she looked at her Aunt's heart broken face. So actually, right there was a perfectly valid reason as to why the items were so valuable to her Aunt. She was more than happy to take that as an answer to her question. Her Aunt sighed, put the clip and leaflet back in the envelope and wiped her tears, giggling slightly:

RONNIE: Ugh, you must think I'm so silly to have kept these tiny insignificant things.

Jessica smiled and shook her head gently:

JESSICA: They're not insignificant. It's natural for you to want to keep hold of the only things that you have left of your daughter.

Ronnie smiled gratefully as Jessica leaned forward and whispered to her Aunt:

JESSICA: And for the record, I don't think your silly. You're the strongest and bravest person I know.

Ronnie giggled and sniffed before pausing for thought and her face dropped as she quietly revealed her deepest, darkest secret:

RONNIE: I don't feel strong and brave. People may think I am but I'm not.

Jessica shook her head and took her Aunt's hand.

JESSICA: It doesn't matter what other people think. You need to know who the real you is…and between you and me, I think we've just seen it.

Jessica smiled sweetly at her Aunt and Ronnie couldn't help but feel calmed by her niece's reassuring words. For the first time in her life she felt that someone understood her.

RONNIE: Thanks Jessie…you know, for listening.

Jessica gave her Aunt a wink and a smile. She knew that everything Ronnie had said to her were things she had kept hidden deep down. She knew that her Aunt had revealed her secret fears and her regrets, and she was possibly the only person she had confided in. And it was this knowledge that gave Jessica so much hope for her future, and her Aunt's.

JESSICA: It's what I'm here for.

*** * ***

**Okay so…I've got swine flu…which is the reason for the huge update as I'm in a bit of quarantine…and swine flu sucks so try to top up on those vitamins and fruit to build up your immune systems guys!**

**Erm no Roxy in this chapter, big apologies but I thought this was a very necessary chapter. And she's actually not gonna be in the next chapter either, Archie is…I reckon…**

**Hope you liked this one, please please please comment so I've got something to read :) Sophie xxxxx**


	15. Familiar

** * * ***

**Big thanks for the lovely reviews and the cyber-hugs :) fingers crossed I'll be feeling better soon but until then expect more updates!**

**I'll update my other fic too, but I've got too many twists for this fic that I need to get out of my system and onto here before I do that - really sorry!**

**:)Thanks again guys and keep reviewing xx**

** * * ***

Jessica stepped through the door and entered the MinuteMart, dressed in a nice tight top that her Auntie Ron had managed to fish out of the draw for her, insisting that it was far too hot for an expectant mother to be wearing baggy clothes. Jessica grinned, loving the fact that her Aunt was beginning to fuss over her and she had to admit, the short top felt much better. After taking a quick glance around she was relieved to see that her mother did not reside in the tiny shop. The only person there was a tall man in his late 50's early 60's, who was looking at the newspapers, and a large, bubbly-looking woman with rosy cheeks behind the counter. Jessica had been given the mission of finding some eggs by her Auntie Ronnie, who had been asked for some by her Auntie Roxy. Ronnie had reassured Jessica that she would join her in a moment, after looking at the fruit and veg stall, then together they would wander round to The Queen Vic pub, where Roxy lived.

As Jessica slowly walked round the little shop she felt her phone go off and she took it out of her baggy pocket, smiling as she looked at the caller ID.

JESSICA: Hey babe, you okay?---Yeah I'm fine---and he's fine too…

She giggled and rubbed her bump as she continued to slowly walk around the shop, over the moon that her boyfriend had called her.

JESSICA: …Well I cant see myself being back tonight---Why? Because Auntie Ronnie still needs me…

She couldn't help notice that the man by the newspapers kept shooting quick glances at her before looking back at his paper with a small frown.

JESSICA: …Look I know you don't really like her---she _needs_ me right now---don't worry, I'll be home before you know it…

She stopped still suddenly, remembering that her Dad was due back home today:

JESSICA: …Oh crumbs I totally forgot! He'll be okay that you're looking after the house though---I dunno, tell him the truth---tell him I've gone to Walford with Auntie Ronnie and I'm staying with her for a couple of days until she's found her feet---it _will_ work---it _will_---he _wont_ hit the roof. Look babe, I've only been gone for a day and you're already panicking! I'm fine, the baby's fine and we're with Auntie Ronnie---yes she's fine too, honest---Okay I love you too---no I love you more…

Jessica couldn't help but giggle as she repeated the same cute argument she had with her boyfriend at the end of every phone call:

JESSICA: …No I miss you more---no I love you more! Okay, okay, okay, we love each other equally---Okay babe, love you too, bye.

Jessica sighed happily as she ended the call and placed the phone back in her pocket. She noticed the shelf where the egg boxes were stacked up and she approached them wondering what ones to get for her youngest Aunt.

Archie Mitchell froze as he watched the young, pregnant blonde peering at the egg boxes before him. Had he eavesdropped on her phone call correctly? Had she mentioned something about an _Auntie Ronnie_? He shook his head to reassure himself that there must be more than one Ronnie in this part of the world…but the girl had emphasised _Walford_. Archie slowly put the newspaper back on the shelf and walked over to the girl who had a dreamy smile on her face as she looked at the eggs she had just chosen. There was something about her that looked so familiar.

ARCHIE: Hi.

Jessica looked to her left to see the old man had approached her wearing a look of confusion on his face.

JESSICE: Erm…Hi.

ARCHIE: Do I know you from somewhere? Its just, you look familiar.

Jessica stuck her bottom lip out and shook her head with a clueless look, talking slowly:

JESSICA: Erm…I don't _think_ so…I mean, my Mum lives round here and people say I look a lot like her so…

Her stomach twisted as the words left her mouth, she hated telling people the facts but she could see the similarities and could never escape that.

ARCHIE: And your Mum is…?

JESSICA: Tanya Branning. You may've come across her or her husband Max?

Archie was taken aback by the information, but then again he didn't really know anything about Tanya Branning other than she tried to kill her husband a while back, she had three…no _four_ kids…and she had been with Sean Slater before his daughter Roxy had. Jessica nodded, unsure where this conversation was leading to. The look on the man's face hadn't changed and she wondered whether he may have come across her aunt's before:

JESSICA: My aunt's live here too and some people say I look a little bit like them? Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell? They work over at The Queen Vic Pub…my Auntie Ronnie should be meeting me any minute…

RONNIE: …Now.

Jessica looked around the man to see her Aunt, staring at him with a face like thunder. She couldn't understand it. They were having an innocent conversation but the look on her Aunt's face was like the look she'd shot Jack on arrival to Walford the day before and suddenly Jessica had the feeling that this man was bad news. If he had the power of turning her Aunt back into the cold, defensive woman she usually was then Jessica didn't like him.

RONNIE: Come on Jessie, you shouldn't be talking to him.

Jessica walked past the man to her Aunt's side:

JESSICA: So I can tell.

Archie watched as the two women stood side by side opposite him. He couldn't work it out. So if Ronnie was this girl's Aunt then…did that make him her granddad?

ARCHIE: Veronica who _is_ this?

Suddenly a chill ran down Jessica's spine and in an instant she realised who she had been talking to. This was her _grandfather_. The man who her father had loathed his whole life. And it was mostly down to the way her Auntie Ronnie had been treated as a child. Her voice was a hush as she looked at him, realising that this was the first time she had ever met him.

JESSICA: Oh my _god_.

Now she understood why her Dad had always told her to never go to Walford. It wasn't because her Mum lived there, it was because her Granddad did.

ARCHIE: Is this…_Andrew's_ daughter?

Jessica's heart lurched as Archie stepped towards her but to her relief, her Auntie Ronnie stood in front of her.

RONNIE: No. You are not coming anywhere near her. You are not doing to her what you did to Danielle, understand?

Jessica couldn't help but feel calmed by her Aunt's strong, sharp words. Her Aunt was protecting her, physically and verbally. She was safe.

ARCHIE: Have you asked her what _she_ wants V? I'm not going to harm her. This is the first time I've ever seen her and she's…beautiful!

Jessica couldn't help but blush at the compliment, but still, this man was bad news. He had manipulated so many of the people she loved, causing heartache for her Auntie Ronnie, and ending in catastrophe for her best friend. She didn't want anything to do with him. Ronnie turned to look at her niece - she couldn't _possibly_ want to spend time with him. And to her relief, her niece put her guard up, and she could see the steely look reappear on Jessica's face as it had done in the club the day before.

JESSICA: Let's go.

Ronnie didn't stop to look back at her father, who she presumed had stood motionless as she didn't hear any footsteps. She gave Heather some money for the eggs, then arm-in-arm, Jessica and Ronnie stepped out of the shop together, leaving Archie looking as though he'd been smacked in the face.

** * * ***

**Just a little chapter - but at least Archie's been thrown into the equation a little bit. Gosh I'm tempted to bring Tanya back…she's not been about for a couple of chapters. Oooh who know's who will pop up next :)**

**Keep reviewing :) much love, Sophie xxx**


	16. What the hell is that?

Jessica looked up the flight of stairs that would take her from the hubble of the pub downstairs, up to the her youngest Aunt who, if her memory served her correctly, could beat the noise and excitement level of all the members in the pub put together. But with all due respect to her Auntie Roxy, she wasn't in the greatest of moods for a fun, bubbly, excitable time and she looked up at her Auntie Ronnie, shooting her a do-we-have-to-? look. Ronnie placed an arm round her niece's shoulder and could understand her reluctance to have to meet _another_ family member in the space of two minutes.

_JESSICA: Are you saying that that man, __that__ man in there is your Dad?! __My__ Granddad?!_

_Jessica looked at her Aunt in shock as they continued walking between the local people who were milling about, looking at the market stalls._

_RONNIE: Yeah. Don't look back. Keep walking._

_Jessica continued to look at her Aunt who had returned to ice-queen mode in a snap. Even her walk became stiff, swift and sharp, so much so that Jessica was having trouble keeping up. She grabbed her Aunt's hand and pulled her back._

_JESSICA: Wait!_

_Ronnie stopped and looked at her niece in surprise. Jessica was breathing heavily, looking harassed and in an instant Ronnie had realised she was becoming like the woman she'd been like with Danielle. A woman that Danielle had feared just as much as she'd loved. And she had promised herself she would never become like that around Jessica. But somehow her father had managed to bring the worse out of her in a heartbeat._

_JESSICA: I cant go any further with you if you're going to be like this…like…an ice queen!_

_Ronnie's heart had already began melting and her niece's words sped the process up. She was right and she didn't want to be __that__ woman any more. Jessica began to calm as her Aunt's face softened and pulled her into a cuddle._

_RONNIE: I'm sorry Jessie. It's just him, any time I see him I just…_

_JESSICA: …I know._

_They pulled apart with small smiles on their faces._

_JESSICA: Dad's exactly the same if Auntie Rox ever talks to him about Granddad. But you shouldn't have to be bothered by him. At the end of the day its __you__ you should be worrying about._

_RONNIE: And you._

_Jessica smiled gratefully. It was nice for her Aunt to be so thoughtful and caring and she could tell that Ronnie was desperate for someone to mother - it was only natural. But Jessica knew full well that she shouldn't encourage her Aunt to become attached to her because she was leaving in a couple of days. She needed to make sure that her Auntie Ronnie had someone to look after her, and for now Jessica had her eyes set on Jack. As they started to walk to the Vic at a more reasonable pace, Ronnie with her arm round her niece, Jessica thought she's subtly throw him into conversation._

_JESSICA: Sooooo…how are things going with you and Jack? I noticed he'd started talking to you in the kitchen just as I was going into the shower…_

_Ronnie couldn't help but smile at her niece's dig for information, but she didn't mind revealing the truth. After all, she had told her many more deeper secrets._

_RONNIE: Erm…he just asked how I'd slept._

_JESSICA: And you said…_

_RONNIE: That I'd slept okay._

_JESSICA: But you hadn't slept okay…_

_RONNIE: I know, but I didn't want him to worry._

_JESSICA: He worries about you already, what's a little bit extra gonna do to him?_

_RONNIE: He worries about me?_

_Jessica looked at her Aunt with a Don't-tell-me-you-never-noticed look and Ronnie rolled her eyes._

_RONNIE: Okay, so he worries about me. But that doesn't __mean__ anything._

_She looked over and noticed that her niece still hadn't changed her facial expression._

_RONNIE: Okay so maybe…maybe he does still like me…a little bit._

_JESSICA: A lot._

_RONNIE: No…_

_JESSICA: Yes! Look, you spontaneously leave him when he's still all loved up and you expect him to just erase those feelings after two days?!_

_RONNIE: Well…no I don't…but…_

_JESSICA: …Cos you certainly haven't._

_RONNIE: Woah._

_Ronnie stopped and raised her eyebrows. She hadn't been __that__ obvious. So what if she still had __some__ feelings for Jack, he'd over stepped the mark by comparing her to her father, which was a perfectly good reason for them to remain just as friends not lovers. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that she had manipulated Jack just like her father had done to her. He'd been right. And now she'd screwed it all up by leaving him. By leaving the engagement ring behind. Ronnie sighed as she realised that her niece was right, she did still love Jack. And she had enjoyed being around him again, in their flat, and having Jessica there was almost like it would've been if Danielle was still alive. They were like a little family. She was the Mum, Jack was the Dad and Jessica was their daughter. But that was the point, Jessica wasn't their daughter. Ronnie sighed again, realising her thoughts were getting the better of her:_

_RONNIE: Okay maybe you're right._

_A small grin appeared on Jessica's face as they started to walk again and Ronnie continued to talk:_

_RONNIE: But how do I know he feels the same way? And I cant exactly waltz up to him and say 'so Jack, how about we start from where we left off?'_

_Ronnie looked at her niece for an answer to her problem but Jessica merely raised her eyebrows, enjoying the fact that her Aunt was acting like a teenager with a huge crush:_

_JESSICA: Of course you can! Well…maybe start from when you were both at your happiest…_

_Ronnie immediately thought of the morning she and Jack were in bed together, giggling and talking about their wedding whilst looking at her engagement ring._

_JESSICA: …And it'd possibly be good for you to slowly approach him instead of waltz, from my experience not many men like to dance…_

_She shot her Aunt a wicked grin and Ronnie giggled at her niece's sarcasm:_

_RONNIE: I didn't mean I would literally_ _do a waltz!_

_Both women giggled as they got closer and closer to the pub but all of a sudden stopped when they noticed a familiar woman a couple of metres before them with a look of horror and surprise on her face. _

_JESSICA: Mum._

_Ronnie was about to pull Jessica away, but remembered what Tanya had said to her the day before about Danielle, and how she might feel if someone was keeping Danielle away from her. So instead Ronnie just looked over at her niece. Everything she would do would be in her best interest. Jessica felt nervous and suddenly became very aware of her bump, that her mother was staring at in shock._

_TANYA: What the hell is __that__?!_

_Jessica's heart was racing. She didn't know whether to answer or not. Why wasn't her Aunt stepping in like she had done with her Granddad? Why wasn't she taking her hand and pulling her away from her mother? The woman that had caused her nothing but heartache since the day she was born. Jessica took a deep breath, realising that this was her chance to stand up to her Mum for the first time in her life. It was time for her to put her Mitchell side into action, so with a deep breath and a cold edge to her voice she spoke:_

_JESSICA: It's my bump._

_TANYA: I can see that…_

_JESSICA: …good. Now if you don't mind, we're off to visit my Auntie Roxy._

_Jessica began to walk around Tanya and Ronnie followed, wanting to give her niece the space to defend herself on her own. She would know when she would need her support, and now didn't seem to be the time. But Tanya moved to block Jessica's path. Ronnie was taken aback by the tears that seemed to appear in Tanya's eyes and the quiver in her voice that made it seem as though she was petrified about standing up to the daughter that she had deserted as a child._

_TANYA: No…no you cant go until you talk to me._

_Jessica began to feel impatient with her mother and she knew it was this impatient side that came from the Mitchell in her - it was one of the things the Mitchell's were renowned for. She tried to find a way around her mother again and again but each time Tanya blocked her path, begging sadly:_

_TANYA: Please. I…I never knew…Your father…No one told me…I need to know…_

_JESSICA: No! No you don't __need__ to know, okay! You gave up the right to know anything about me the day you left us when I was only a baby._

_Tanya froze, the words ringing in her ears, giving Jessica the opportunity to finally step past her mother, and forward towards the pub. Ronnie had no idea what to do or say other than follow her niece, leaving Tanya to watch her daughter walk away from her again._

RONNIE: Come on, everything's going to be fine.

Jessica took a deep breath and slowly followed her Aunt up the stairs of the Vic. As she reached the top she couldn't believe how spacious it was. There were a good few rooms and it was so clean for a pub. Ronnie turned to look at her niece and could tell that she was nervous so she shot her a little wink and a smile then motioned towards the closed door of the kitchen, where noises of a baby were coming from behind it.

Jessica took a deep breath, then nodded.

RONNIE: Knock-Knock!

Ronnie spoke in a sing-song voice as she slowly entered the kitchen to find her sister sat a the table finishing off feeding her baby daughter Amy, who was sat in her highchair with food all over her face. Roxy beamed at her big sister:

ROXY: Heeeyyy! You're late. You're never late!

Ronnie stepped a little further into the room and popped the egg box on the kitchen table, with a slightly harassed look on her face.

RONNIE: Yeah, sorry, we stumbled into a couple of people on the way over here.

ROXY: We?

Roxy frowned, wondering whether the 'we' stood for Ronnie and Jack. She was a bit peed off as she'd hoped only her sister would be joining her, but to her surprise as she looked round her sister she saw her niece standing nervously at the door of the kitchen.

ROXY: Oh my _god_! Jessie?! When did _you_ get into Walford? And with Ronnie?!

And with a squeal Roxy levitated off her seat and gave Jessica the biggest cuddle she had ever experienced. Jessica had to admit, she had been nervous about meeting her youngest Aunt before now, but actually the initial contact had calmed her nerves. Everything would be okay…until the questions begin to fly in. Roxy stepped back, holding Jessica's arms out with her hands.

ROXY: God, look at you! You're so grown up and…and…_pregnant_!

Roxy's reaction had been as Jessica had expected. Over the moon, smiley, bubbly and excitable. Behind Roxy, Ronnie gave her niece a wink and a reassuring smile before walking over to Amy, picking her out of the highchair and proceeding to wipe the food from her face with some baby wipes, cooing to her as she did so. Roxy motioned to a seat at the table and Jessica took it hoping that her Aunt wouldn't ask any questions. Roxy sat on the seat opposite her niece looking at her eagerly for information.

ROXY: So…who is he?

Jessica forced a smile and shrugged, ready to blast out all the info in one go:

JESSICA: Just some guy who I've been going out with for a while since New Years. He's so cute and funny and romantic and caring and is just as excited about this baby as I am…

Ronnie's ears pricked up and she looked from her baby niece to her eldest:

RONNIE: You've only been going out for about 7 months?! But…you're six months pregnant!

ROXY: Yeeeah, and he's still willing to stay and support her! Now _that's_ a boyfriend!

Jessica's stomach twisted but she still forced a smile:

JESSICA: Yeah he's fab. We're expecting a son in October, actually around the time of Dad's birthday.

Roxy giggled:

ROXY: And what does your Dad think about all this? Does he get on with your man?

JESSICA: Yeah like a house on fire. Dad's cool with it. It was a bit of a shock at first but I'm the same age as he was when I was born, the only difference is I've got his support…unlike Granddad…

Jessica's nerves rose again as both her Aunt's looked uncomfortable about the conversation and she quickly continued:

JESSICA: …well Dad says I'm going to be a great mother. And he's right, I am. Like they say, you learn from your parent's mistakes. I will never desert my child. I'm gonna be the best mother in the world.

There was a pause and both Roxy and Ronnie looked at their niece with a smile, proud at her determination. Amy began wriggling and Ronnie slowly walked over to Jessica and handed the newly clean baby over to her with a smile. Jessica happily took her cousin in her arms for the first time and spend a couple of moments trying to hold her around her bump, before finding a comfortable position. Ronnie stepped back, her heart skipping a beat as she realised the sight before her reminded her of what it was like when Danielle used to hold Amy. Her daughter had loved that baby to pieces and only she, Ronnie, had been the one standing in the way of her happiness again and again. Amy looked up at Jessica's beaming face and giggled as her cousin pulled faces at her.

ROXY: She likes you.

JESSICA: Well I should hope so. We're family, aren't we.

Roxy looked from her smiling daughter and niece up to her sister, who was watching her two niece's with a crestfallen look. Roxy knew why Ronnie was upset and she reached out and took her hand. Ronnie looked over at her sister's reassuring face and smiled gratefully.

ROXY: Why don't you take a seat? I'll put the kettle on.

Jessica watched as her Aunt's swapped places and she couldn't believe how chilled out, calm and responsible her Auntie Roxy had become since she'd last seen her. Clearly having a baby had brought her down to earth and settled her into adulthood well. Maybe if she knew the truth, she wouldn't react as badly as Jessica had predicted she would.

ROXY: So who did you bump into on the way over here then?

Ronnie who had been smiling at Amy and Jessica raised her eyebrows and sighed.

RONNIE: Dad…

A clink came from Roxy who had dropped a teaspoon on the floor as she heard her sister. She knew full well that this meeting wouldn't have been welcomed with open arms.

ROXY: Oh?

RONNIE: Yeah, he approached Jessie in the MinuteMart. Didn't know who she was of course.

Roxy clicked the kettle on and turned, leaning against the counter, crossing her arms as she faced the kitchen table:

ROXY: He had no idea?

Jessica shrugged, thinking that she'd been silent for a while:

JESSICA: He may have had a tiny idea but all he did was ask me if we'd met before cos I looked familiar. So I told him that you guys lived here and I look a bit like you…

Roxy made a motion as if to say 'well of course'.

JESSICA: …and I said my Mum lived round the corner and obviously I look a bit like her too...

Roxy's face dropped and Ronnie, who had been focused on Jessica's side of the conversation could tell by the look on her niece's face that she had just told her Auntie Roxy some brand new information.

ROXY: Oh my god, she does?!

Ronnie turned to see Roxy looking at her for confirmation. Ronnie nodded slowly and Roxy strode forward as though they were talking about something very top secret.

ROXY: _Who_??

But before either Ronnie or Jessica could open their mouths to say anything they heard a small commotion downstairs. The ever familiar high-pitched, strong voice of Peggy Mitchell against a pleading voice that sent Jessica's stomach upside down again:

PEGGY: Oi! You cant go up there! That's private.

Roxy stood up straight to look over at the stairs just as Tanya Branning ran to the door of the kitchen breathlessly:

TANYA: Jessica, please. We _have_ to talk.

Roxy's mouth dropped as she looked from the distressed face of Tanya, to the nervous face of Jessica and in an instant worked it out. All this time Tanya had been Jessica's mother. The woman who she loathed because she'd walked out on her brother and niece all those years ago.

Ronnie quickly stood up to stand by her sister as a form of protection for their niece, despite the fact that Tanya was closer to Jessica then they were. This sudden movement caused Tanya to step back nervously but she still looked over at Jessica desperately. Roxy gave her a look like thunder, her anger rising but she kept her voice low and threatening:

ROXY: I think you should leave.

Ronnie nodded and folded her arms with an equally threatening voice:

RONNIE: I agree.

Both Mitchell sisters began to slowly walk towards Tanya but before anything could happen Jessica stood up quickly:

JESSICA: No.

A wave of relief rushed over Tanya as she, Roxy and Ronnie looked over at Jessica. Jessica couldn't stand the idea of having to run from this woman for the next couple of days:

JESSICA: No. If you want to talk, we'll talk. But you've _got_ to promise to leave us alone after that.

Tanya nodded as butterflies began racing round in her stomach, part of her hadn't even expected Jessica to have stood up for her, to let her in. But now was her chance to explain.

JESSICA: And by us I don't just mean me, Auntie Ron and Auntie Rox. I also mean Dad, my boyfriend and my unborn son. Promise?

Tanya took a deep breath. The last words Jessica had said to her outside were still ringing in her head and she agreed with them - she didn't deserve her daughter or anything that came with her. So with a quiet voice she agreed:

TANYA: I promise.

*** * ***

**Woah, longest chapter of the lot…and I've got to admit, it may be one of my fav's so far :)**

**Hope you all liked it. As promised there was a bit Tanya and finally some of Roxy! The title of the chapter is what it is cos it's my favourite line in this chapter :) that and most of Roxy's lines. I can just imagine Tanya and Roxy saying them - haha!**

**Anyone worked out the twist yet? If not - horray, it means I'm reasonably good at being a secret-keeping writer! If you have worked it out then suggest it to me in an inbox message :) I love reading your theories!**

**On another note, I'm not feeling too bad today which is a bit of a relief, don't panic though, more updates to come - yaaaay!**

**Comments and feedback appreciated as always! Sophie xxx**


	17. 9th October

Jessica sat on the sofa in the living room of the Vic, slowly rubbing her belly as her Mum perched on the edge of the sofa, hardly taking her eyes off her. Tanya couldn't believe that this young woman before her was once her little girl. Her first born. This was the first time she'd been alone with her since the aftermath of her birth, and Tanya couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach as she knew that she had a lot of explaining to do.

TANYA: Erm…before I say too much…I just wanna say thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I…I know I don't deserve this so…

Tanya trailed off, not knowing what else to say, and she looked down at her hands ashamed. Jessica sat up as best she could and mirrored her mother's perched position on the edge of the sofa. She noticed she was crying again, and there was a small part of her that felt some compassion for this woman. There were so many questions she had. So many that she'd composed over the years. So many that she thought she would never be able to ask. Until now. So, nervously, Jessica cleared her throat and spoke softly to her Mum:

JESSICA: Why did you leave?

Tanya almost jumped at the sound of her daughter's voice, not expecting her to have spoken. She thought about the question, and realised that she had answered it in her head over and over since she first caught a glimpse of Jessica the day before. She also spoke in a soft voice, aware that her daughter would be taking in every singe word she said and making her mind up whether she was worth the time of day:

TANYA: Because…I was reckless.

Jessica exhaled loudly, frustrated that that was the only thing her Mum could come up with, but to her relief Tanya hadn't finished.

TANYA: Because I'd got involved…with some _horrible_ people. I became addicted to drugs, to alcohol. So much so that I was barely around you. I barely looked after you. I wasn't fit to.

She took a deep, shaky breath as tears began to fall down her face:

TANYA: Then one day in the early hours of the morning, not long after your first birthday, I got home and saw you and your Dad asleep on the sofa. You looked so peaceful in his arms. And I realised that you would have a horrible life if I stayed in it. So I left.

Tanya sniffed as she paused in her story and looked up at her daughter who was looking at her half curiously, half sympathetically and she couldn't help but flash a small smile.

TANYA: I was fifteen. I didn't think about the future. What fifteen year old does? Instead I thought about the here and now…

JESSICA: …and you thought it'd be best to leave. Best for you…

TANYA: No.

Tanya whispered the last word. She clearly hadn't explained well enough. But she wasn't sure what else to say.

TANYA: No, I left for you. Are you telling me you had a horrible childhood?

JESSICA: No, of course not, I had the best childhood. I don't think anyone could ask for a better father than mine. It's just…I don't remember you leaving but Dad...well he struggles to trust women now. You really hurt him and anyone who hurts my Dad, hurts me. So you can see why I've been so reluctant to talk to you. Sorry.

Tanya stared at her daughter's heartbroken face and she hated being the source of that pain. But everything Jessica had said, she already knew. She knew she had caused a lot of heartache and if she could change the past she would, but she couldn't.

TANYA: I'll be honest, I've been thinking about you a lot recently. Wondering what life would be like if I'd have stayed in contact. Especially as it was your birthday a couple of days ago… Did you have a nice time?

Jessica tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked at her mother's face which, despite the fact she was clearly nervous, Tanya was peering at her with a kind expression. Much kinder than either of her Aunt's could ever muster even if they tried. But Jessica was still dubious about letting her guard down fully - after all this woman had caused her and her father a lot of pain.

JESSICA: Yeah, yeah it was good. I mean, Dad was away but my boyfriend took me out shopping then cooked me my favourite dinner and we ate it in front of my favourite movie…

Tanya's heart fell as she tried to imagine the scene, but couldn't as she didn't even know her daughter's favourite food, or her favourite shops, or her favourite types of movies.

TANYA: And…your boyfriend…is he excited about the baby?

A small smile appeared on Jessica's face as she appreciated her mother's cautious questions. It was a breath of fresh air as opposed to her Auntie Roxy's cut-throat, straight-to-the-point tactics.

JESSICA: Yeah, yeah he's really excited Mum. He's amazing. We hadn't been going out long when I got pregnant and he's still stuck by me through and through.

Despite Jessica's eager, love-struck look Tanya couldn't help but feel very annoyed that she couldn't have been around for her daughter, to protect her from this inevitable route of motherhood. If she could change anything, it would be that she'd have had her children a little later in life, to give her the opportunity to experience the more carefree side of life. Instead she'd got in a mess which meant she was thrown straight in the deep end, first with Jessica and then with Lauren four years later. And now her eldest daughter looked as though she was following her footsteps.

TANYA: And…your Dad is okay with all this?

Jessica hesitated. She wasn't overly keen on the idea of talking about her Dad with her Mum. There was so much she didn't know about him, after all they hadn't been in the same vicinity as each other in over 13 years and she hadn't heard that they had contacted each other in that time either. So she chose her words carefully:

JESSICA: Yeah, he's fine with it. He said he'd help us in any way he could once the baby's born so…

She trailed off and rubbed her belly thoughtfully as Tanya continued to watch her.

TANYA: You said you were having a son?

Jessica smiled and nodded slowly:

JESSICA: Yeah. He's due on 9th October.

TANYA: Your Dad's birthday?

Jessica raised her eyebrows, impressed that her mother had remembered the significance of the date.

JESSICA: You remember?

TANYA: Of course I remember, you think I'd forget the birthday of my first lo---

Tanya cut her sentence off as quickly as she could, quietly hoping that her sudden reveal about how Drew was her first love wouldn't freak her daughter out. She was desperate to keep talking with her. She was desperate to hold on to this precious time that she had with her. It all rested on her daughter's next move.

Jessica's mouth opened in shock as she presumed the last part of her mother's sentence. So her Dad had been her Mum's first love? Only natural, she supposed, as Tanya _had_ just turned… _13_ when they'd met. But Jessica felt it was so romantic. Just as she was about to ask for more information about what her Mum and Dad had been like when they were together, Jessica's phone started to ring. Jessica sighed and rolled her eyes, much to Tanya's hope that the relationship between her and her eldest daughter was beginning to build up again. Typically the phone stopped ringing the moment Jessica finally got it out of her pocket and she looked at the caller ID:

JESSICA: Speak of the devil…

Tanya looked up at her daughter sharply, knowing full well that she was talking about Drew. No sooner had Jessica locked the keypad to her phone a message came through:

_Where the hell are you?? Dad xx_

The phone started to ring again and Jessica looked up apologetically at her mother. She had finally begun to settle into the conversation:

JESSICA: I…erm…I'd really better talk to him. I haven't spoken to him in a couple of days you know… he worries about me a lot, especially with…

She pointed to her bump and Tanya nodded understandingly. She stood up and began to walk to the door as Jessica slowly got off the sofa.

JESSICA: But…

Tanya turned hopefully and her heart leapt as her daughter slowly approaching her with a smile on her face as the phone rang off again.

JESSICA: …If you wanted…you know…to talk some more… well you know where I'll be for the next couple of days.

TANYA: But Ronnie and Roxy---

JESSICA: ---I'll talk to them. They'll be fine. And I'll let Jack know too, just in case he answers the door.

A huge smile grew on Tanya's face and a wave of relief rush over her. Her daughter was actually _willing_ to spend time with her. After all the horrible things she'd done. After all the horrible history she was still going to give her time of day and she quietly promised herself that she'd make it up to her. The phone began to ring again and Jessica rolled her eyes, exhaling loudly:

JESSICA: Right, I'll speak to you later.

TANYA: Yeah…right…see you.

JESSICA: Hello Dad?

Tanya slowly and quietly walked out of the room as Jessica answered the phone, and towards the stairs, passing the kitchen which was open just a whisper and contained the two Mitchell sisters, then proceeded down the stairs, smiling to herself about the past few minutes she had just spent with her daughter.

Jessica paced up and down the living room with the phone to her ear as she listened to her Dad describing how his weekend away went.

DREW: …then we tied him to a lamp post naked and the police had to come and rescue him! It was so funny!

Jessica giggled. She loved hearing her Dad's stories and just wish she could be with him now.

DREW: So what's up with your Auntie V?

Jessica sighed, this was one heck of a long story so she started from where her Aunt had started the story she had told her niece a couple of nights back. As the story went on, Jessica could hear her Dad sound more and more concerned.

DREW: Right…so this idiot…what's his name…

JESSICA: Jack.

DREW: Right, so this Jack guy…he told her that she was like _Dad_?!

JESSICA: Yeah, I know - talk about sprinkling salt into the wounds!

DREW: Sprinkling?! More like pouring! What a jerk, I'm glad she ditched him.

JESSICA: Actually Dad… I'm kinda currently in the process of trying to get them back together…

DREW: What?! But he accused her of…

JESSICA: …I know! But he had a good reason.

Then Jessica proceeded to tell her Dad about the condom situation.

DREW: Ah…well looks like you've done the right thing in escorting your Auntie V back here JJ. She needs to be looked after.

JESSICA: I know, but I cant look after her for the rest of my life, I'm about to have a baby! She needs a guy who loves her as much as she loves him, who is willing to spend the rest of his life with her. And Jack is _so_ willing to do that - I mean, he _proposed_ to her when, by the sounds of things, she was at her lowest. Seriously Dad, if only you could meet him, he's perfect for her!

DREW: Well looks like I'll have to do that right now.

Jessica froze on the spot as she heard outside noises in the background of her Dad's conversation:

JESSICA: What do you mean you'll have to do it right now? Dad, where are you?

DREW: I'm in Walford.

Jessica was almost sick and she swayed slightly, catching her arm on a vase and knocking it down onto the floor with a smash.

JESSICA: You…you're in Walford?! But…

DREW: The minute I got home he told me you'd taken your Auntie V back to Walford, so I thought, if my little sister's in trouble and my daughter to boot which would lead to my grandson being in trouble, then I _must_ find them. See if they're okay.

JESSICA: But we _are_ okay Dad...

Jessica began to panic and she sat down with a thud as her Aunt's rushed into the room, wondering what the smash was about.

DREW: Look, don't panic. I've got the address where you and your Aunt are staying, so I'll quickly go there and speak to this Jack guy…try and persuade him to take your Auntie V back…then I'll wander over to the local where you said you're at.

Jessica closed her eyes, hardly believing how matter-of-factly her Dad was planning to do things, as though it was something he did everyday.

JESSICA: But…

DREW: Don't panic JJ. Everything's going to be okay. I love you.

JESSICA: Love you too.

Jessica slowly brought the phone down and stared at it in shock as the call ended. Both Ronnie and Roxy rushed over and sat either side of their niece, who had managed to work herself into a state. Ronnie pulled Jessica into a huge cuddle, stroking her hair, whilst Roxy took her hand and stroked it reassuringly.

RONNIE: Sweetie what's wrong?

JESSICA: It's Dad. He's here. In Walford. He…he…

ROXY: Jessie it's okay.

Jessica sat up and looked from one Aunt to the other desperately:

JESSICA: No, you don't understand. What happens if he runs into Granddad…or…or…_Mum_?! He's going to freak out!

RONNIE: Jessie, everything's going to be okay. As long as he comes straight over here, he's unlikely to bump into either of them!

Jessica wanted to be reassured by her Aunt's words but there was no way she could be, she had no idea what would happen if her Mother caught sight of her Father after such a long time, especially now she knew she was pregnant. And as for her Granddad, she knew full well that things would not be good between her Dad and him if they ever crossed paths again. There was also the tiniest piece of information that she was keeping from her Auntie Ronnie…her Dad was actually on his way to speak to Jack about her…

* * *

**Wow…I cant believe how long its taken me to write this chapter!**

**I'm bringing Drew into the equation, I'm desperate to get Jack and Ronnie back together but I'm not sure how long that'll take…especially as the last time Jack and Drew crossed paths things hadn't **_**exactly**_** gone smoothly…**

**Well what did you think? Any Roxy-twist ideas? Cos I've touched upon it discreetly in this chapter ;)**

**Comments and feedback totally appreciated as always! Thanks, Soph xxx**


	18. You Have My Word

Drew took a deep breath, rubbed a hand through his hair mousey brown hair and rang the doorbell twice. The things he did for his sister. Actually he was doing this for his daughter as much as he was doing it for anyone else. He had no idea what he was going to say to this complete stranger 'Hey, erm, my daughter has _claimed _that you're my sister's soul mate…fancy taking her back?'. Drew raised his eyebrows, impressed that his opening line didn't actually sound too bad but his face soon fell when the door of the flat opened to reveal 'the man of his little sister's dreams'.

DREW: You.

Drew recognised him immediately, the tall, tough git that had ruined his daughter's 7th birthday, complete with his slick suit and bashful grin. Surely…_surely _this guy - Max's brother no less - wasn't the guy his daughter had been describing in such a positive light. The guy that his sister had fallen completely head-over-heals in love with. The guy who Ronnie was destined to spend the rest of her life with, or so he had heard.

JACK: Me.

Jack recognised the man at the door immediately as Jessica's father, Drew, the man that had almost started a fight with him after he'd fed her birthday cake to her dog all those years ago. He could only think of one reason why he might be standing on the doorstep:

JACK: Look, if you're here for Jessie she's over at the Vic with Ronnie and Roxy.

DREW: Yeah I know.

Drew cleared his throat in an attempt to stall for time. What the heck was he going to do? He had so much hatred for this guy and wanted to protect his little sister. But Drew remembered what Jessica had told him, neither he nor her could be around to protect Ronnie forever, especially as she still seemed in a fragile state. There was only one other option. So Drew sighed and admitted defeat for now, he would grit his teeth, try to find out whether Jack _was_ the right man for his little sister or not, then use his findings to encourage or not encourage him to relight the flame he had with Ronnie - what ever flame that was.

DREW: Actually the reason I'm here is to talk to you.

Jack raised his eyebrows, surprised by the answer. He suddenly felt nervous, not that he was going to let it show. He wasn't sure what Drew was going to say or do but if he was anything like his father it would be sly:

JACK: Er yeah, sure, come in.

He stepped aside as Drew trundled through the door and waited to be led up to the flat, which Jack obliged. Drew walked through the door of the flat and was immediately impressed. His sister certainly could pick them. He watched as Jack pulled out a bottle of vodka and poured a bit into two glasses but Drew declined much to Jack's surprise. He thought _all_ Mitchell's were drinkers.

DREW: No, thanks. I saw what it did to Tanya so haven't had a drop of alcohol in…about twenty years.

Jack raised his eyebrows, slightly impressed, then took a sip of the vodka knowing what was going to come next.

JACK: Look, what happened at Jessie's birthday party that time. I'm really sorry. I was just trying to impress a girl.

Drew raised his eyebrows, surprise at the apology and the confession however unimpressed at the excuse. Jack continued, the alcohol suddenly giving him a surge of confidence to talk in a 'you know how it is' manner:

JACK: She just looked really miserable sat in the corner, nursing a drink but completely stunning in her white and black spotty dress, so I was hoping to put a smile on her face by---

Drew's stomach turned as he recognised the description, confirming that maybe his daughter was right, maybe this guy and his little sister _were_ always destined to be together:

DREW: ---you _do_ know that was Ronnie right?

Jack froze and tried to think back to what the girl had looked like. But he couldn't remember, and he had all the beers he had drank at that party to thank for that. All he could remember was that he had noticed a stunning, tall blonde, in a seemingly brand new dress, looking uncomfortable and upset whilst she drank a large glass of 'water'…though he'd already seen her hiding a bottle of vodka behind the chair she sat on, using it to fill the glass up every so often. He remembered that he'd wanted to go up to her, to ask her for her name and why she was so upset. But he'd been too nervous. So instead he'd continued drinking until he came up with the idea and confidence to feed the cake to the birthday girl's dog, Ruby. Drew watched Jack's face drop, and he didn't blame him. It was a shock to him too, that his sister had already met 'her one' years before she knew it.

DREW: Actually she's the reason I'm here.

Jack frowned, not sure what Drew was wanting to talk about.

DREW: I always want the best for my family. My sisters, my daughter… Believe it or not as kids Ronnie was always the one that needed my protection. Dad had always picked on her - maybe because she'd looked so much like our Mum - but never Roxanne because she was 'Daddy's little girl'…Ronnie had always depended on me to fight for her, to protect her. But Dad chucked me out of the house when I was 18 and I had no reason to object - anything to get away from all the arguments and the aggravation of his dominance - but the only reason I did have was that for a lot of the time she was home, Ronnie would have to fight her own battles. She would have to be her own protection. Something she wasn't good at.

Jack sat on one of the kitchen stools, stunned by Drew's story. He knew there was a venerable side to Ronnie, he'd seen it. But he hadn't realised it had stemmed from a time before she had had her baby.

DREW: Which is why she started to rebel by staying out late…

JACK: Because she was too afraid to go home?

Drew nodded and reluctantly continued, realising that he was revealing a very personal part of his sister's history to someone she apparently felt very strongly about and who apparently felt the same way back. But Drew had decided if Jack didn't offer to be her protection after this story, then there was no hope for his future with Ronnie.

DREW: Which I guess is how she fell pregnant. She was three months gone when she'd told me her secret and she made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. I knew what sort of things she was feeling or craving because Tanya was three months pregnant with Jessica too so… well all I could do was advise her to tell our Mum and if she had any questions just to give us a call and we'd give her as much support and advice as we could. But she never called.

Jack was speechless. He hadn't heard the whole story of Ronnie's teenage pregnancy, certainly not in as much detail as that. And in an instant he wanted to find her, to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

DREW: My point is, she's always needed protecting in one way or another. But I cant protect her the way I used to. I cant be waiting for her, to be the shoulder to cry on, or the barrier to block the pain. Jessica brought Ronnie back here to look after her, to help her get through whatever dark patch she's in right now. But my daughter has a baby on the way herself, and I refuse to be _anything_ like my Dad. I _have_ be around to protect my daughter, especially when she's this venerable. And we both know she cant be around to look after Ronnie forever. So we need someone who can. Someone who _will_ be that person to love, support and protect her for the rest of her life.

JACK: But I proposed to her last week. I promised her that I would always be here, waiting for her to get over the loss of her daughter and that when she was ready all she had to do was find me and I'd be there.

DREW: She agreed to marry you yes?

Jack noticed this was more of a rhetorical question but he still agreed:

DREW: Well…instead of promising that you'll be wherever you are, waiting for her - maybe you should promise to stand by her side and go with her on this journey of grief, from the darkest days right the way up to the lightest days. Because once she's reached the light, you can be confident that she'll stay there with you till the day you die. Between you and me, once my sister has fallen for you, the _real_ Ronnie not the Ronnie-in-grief that she is now - she'll be happy, honest and true to you right to the very end.

Jack paused as he considered all that Ronnie's brother had said:

JACK: And you're sure that she'd want me back?

Drew smiled, relieved that this man was willing to take on the biggest challenge of his life:

DREW: From what my daughter's been telling me…

Jack couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending the rest of his life with a happy Ronnie, the woman he loved. He reached out and gratefully shook Drew's hand.

JACK: She means a lot to me Drew. If things work out between us I'll have you and Jessie to thank. I love her.

DREW: I can see that. And you promise to go through this rollercoaster ride _with_ her, as a form of support, not just as a spectator watching from the sidelines waiting for the ride to finish?

JACK: You have my word.

* * *

**Oooh horray - Dreeewwwwww :) and throughout the WHOLE of the time I've spent writing this I've had Lifehouse's song 'Broken' on repeat (the version from their album that was released in 2007, not the recent radio version) AND I've had **_**this**_** picture staring at my inspiration for Drew… ****.**** yum :) yes you guessed it - in my ideal world if he **_**was**_** an actual character in EE I would choose Matthew Macfadyen to play Drew. He would look lush on screen with Tanya as well as super onscreen, acting with Ronnie and Roxy! **

**So what dya reckon of the chapter? I'm gonna try my hardest to update tomorrow but I'm actually back to work in the evening so if not, you may have to wait for a Monday update - sorry!**

**When I usually write a chapter I have the characters, setting and vague conversational topic in mind - apart from that I just go with the flow…but I have absolutely **_**no**_** clue what to put in the next chapter, I'll have to see how tired I am!**

**Comments and reviews and feedback is totally loved :) Soph xxx**


	19. Mr LoverLover

Ronnie and Roxy sat motionless at the kitchen table of the Vic as their niece bustled about making a cup of tea for herself. Jessica was nervous. And not her usual kind of nervous of trying to keep herself busy…even though that was what she was already doing. The type of nervous where she thought of every possible outcome to what trouble might happen. It wasn't that her Dad was violent, or one for causing trouble. But when he was in a protective mood then _nothing_ could break through him.

Roxy had been staring at Ronnie for ages, dying to catch her eye so they could strike up a conversation, despite the odd distraction of Amy who sat on her lap gurgling as she attempted to talk to her Mum, Aunt and Cousin in the only way babies could.

_RONNIE: Roxy! What are you doing?!_

_Roxy rolled her eyes as her sister hissed words at her. She was merely putting her ear to the crack in the door with the hope that she might be able to eavesdrop on her niece's conversation with Tanya in the next room. She looked over at Ronnie's stern face and reluctantly walked back over to sit at the table of the kitchen, opposite her sister, keeping her voice as low as hers._

_ROXY: Don't tell me that you trust __that__ woman with our niece! After all that she's done Ronnie…_

_RONNIE: I know! I know…_

_Ronnie put her face in her hands and exhaled loudly._

_RONNIE: …But we've got to. If Jessie is willing to spend five minutes with her, then that's fine by me._

_ROXY: But…_

_RONNIE: She's an adult now Rox. She's allowed to make her own decisions._

_Both women sat in their seats, partially because they didn't know what to say, partially because they wanted to keep an ear out just in case there was any commotion from the living room…but there wasn't. Roxy eyed her sister suspiciously as Ronnie nursed a glass of water in her hands._

_ROXY: You're different._

_Ronnie looked up surprised that her sister was looking at her with an intrigued grin on her face._

_RONNIE: What?!_

_ROXY: Something about you's changed…it's Jessie isn't it…she's changed you._

_Ronnie forced a small laugh but it wasn't sufficient for Roxy who continued to push the topic:_

_ROXY: She __has__! Come on Ron, tell me, what has she said to you to make you change your ways?_

_RONNIE: I haven't changed!_

_ROXY: Well okay then…you're more like your old self._

_Ronnie paused as her sister's face softened lovingly. She hadn't noticed that she'd changed. But if she had, in the space of two days, what had been the trigger for this change? Roxy leaned towards her sister, keeping her voice low, very aware that her next few words could crumble her sister into the cold, distant sister she was so used to._

_ROXY: Is it because of Danielle? Is it because Jessie's a lot like her?_

_But to Roxy's surprise Ronnie didn't put her guard up or accuse her of being nosey, instead she gave a small smile and looked back down at her glass as she tried to explain:_

_RONNIE: It's not because she's like her it's… because she __knew__ her._

_And as Ronnie told her sister the story of how Jessica and Danielle had met and remained friends, Roxy's face changed from a look of initial shock, to a look of happiness at how happy the two girls had made each other, to a look of horror at the thought that they had missed all the birthday parties Danielle had attended._

_RONNIE: She knew Danielle better than anyone else._

_ROXY: God, Ron…_

_She didn't know what to say. So now she understood why Ronnie had found such a strong bond between their niece. Because Jessica was a connection to Danielle and not necessarily in a physical sense like Roxy had initially thought, but because now Ronnie could feel safe in the knowledge that there was someone else in the world who she could talk to freely about her daughter as though she had known her all her life._

Roxy took a glance at her watch and sighed. It was 11.50. Nearly time for her to start work at the pub.

ROXY: Where _is_ your Dad?! I want to see him before I start work.

Ronnie had been keeping a watchful eye over her pregnant niece since they had returned to the kitchen fifteen minutes ago and couldn't help but notice that Jessica was acting suspiciously.

RONNIE: Yeah, he should've been here ages ago. Did he say where he was when he spoke to you?

Jessica shrugged as she finished making the tea, not daring to look her Aunt's in the eye in case she caved and blurted out the big secret.

JESSICA: He just said he was in Walford.

Her phone went off and she fished it out of her pocket peering at the number she didn't recognise:

_Jess, can you get rid of your Auntie Rox while I talk to your Auntie Ron? Jack x_

Jessica smiled again. Okay this was going to be soooo romantic. He was probably going to race up the stairs to her Aunt and he would be smiling and she would be smiling and they wouldn't even need to speak, their eyes would do all the talking for them, then they would share a long and passionate kiss before Jack would sweep her Auntie Ronnie up off her feet and takes her back to their flat where they would live happily ever after. Jessica shook the daydream out of her head and she quickly texted back confirming she would do so. Roxy rolled her eyes again:

ROXY: Ohhh…was that Mr Lover-Lover?

Jessica grinned at her Auntie Roxy then looked over at Ronnie and raised her eyebrows:

JESSICA: Well…_someone's_ yes.

She jumped as her phone went off again to see her Dad's name flash up on screen:

_All sorted. We're coming over now, where abouts are you? D xxx_

Jessica's heart leapt with excitement as she speedily texted back their location in the pub then looked up at her Auntie Ronnie excitably. She was finally going to find happiness. Ronnie and Roxy equally stared at their niece suspiciously.

JESSICA: That was Dad, he said he'll be at the pub in a minute.

ROXY: Great! Well tell him to come upstairs.

Jessica panicked. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

JESSICA: Erm…he cant…he doesn't know how to get up here.

RONNIE: Well that's okay I'll just go downstairs and meet him---

JESSICA: ---No! No…erm…

She shuffled her feet uncomfortably as both her Aunt's looked surprised at her behaviour.

JESSICA: No _actually_ he asked for Auntie Rox. He wanted Auntie Rox to meet him downstairs.

RONNIE: But you never said he wanted to meet---

JESSICA: ---I know…I missed that bit out.

Roxy merely shrugged, unaware that her niece was acting strange, and stood up. After all she hadn't seen her properly in a lot of years, so presumed this jumpy nature was natural for her. But Ronnie was very suspicious, having spent two days with her niece. She narrowed her eyes, trying to read Jessica's mind but her niece merely smiled again.

JESSICA: We'll be back up here in a couple of minutes. Promise. Just…put the kettle on or something…

Ronnie sighed, admitting defeat for now, but her niece was acting suspiciously for a reason, and she was determined to find out why. She shrugged:

RONNIE: Okay, I'll put the kettle on.

Jessica skipped, as best she could, out of the door as Roxy handed a very happy Amy to her sister, then followed her niece down the stairs. Jessica looked back, checking her youngest Aunt was close behind her. She couldn't risk her Auntie Rox seeing Jack, otherwise the cover would be blown. So she scuttled to the front of the pub as quick as she could just in time to hear a firm knock on the doors. Roxy unlocked and opened them and her face lit up:

ROXY: Drew!

She threw her arms around him and gave him a huge cuddle, having not seen him in a long time. As she pulled away from him and watched her niece welcome her father she couldn't help but notice how much happier her brother seemed. He had lost the dark shadows under his eyes that meant his bright blue eyes were gleaming, and he now had shorter hair which made him look younger than he actually was. She realised that her brother _may_ finally be getting over the heartache of being left by Jessica's mother nineteen years ago but her heart dropped as she realised that Tanya may now be finding a way back into his life without either of them knowing about it. She watched as her brother let go of his daughter and looked at her bump, talking in a very loud voice.

DREW: So…how's the little man doing?

Jessica beamed and rubbed her belly, responding in an equally loud voice:

JESSICA: He's being moving about _a lot_ since I got here. I think he's got a crush on my Aunt's voices.

She and Drew giggled as Roxy looked horrified:

ROXY: Oi, that's my great-nephew you're talking about there. Oh god…I'm going to be a Great Aunt!

Drew laughed:

DREW: Yeah, well count yourself lucky - I'm going to be a Granddad!

This time it was Roxy's turn to laugh:

ROXY: Okay, okay, you win. Gosh we're so grown up.

* * *

Ronnie sighed as she held Amy in one arm then flicked on the kettle as she heard a loud knocking downstairs that she knew meant her brother had arrived. _Why_ wasn't she allowed to go downstairs, after all Amy was still awake, and she hadn't even met her Uncle Drew yet. Ronnie reached into a cupboard and pulled a few mugs out of the cupboard, narrating to Amy as she did so:

RONNIE: So we get out four mugs…like this…

She then reached into a little bowl in another cupboard:

RONNIE: Then we need four tea bags…because your Mummy, Auntie, Uncle and cousin love tea…

Amy giggled and gurgled at her causing Ronnie to giggle herself:

RONNIE: And what are _you_ giggling at Twinkle? Huh?

She looked at the baby in her arms and for a moment imagined that this was what it was like having a baby of her own. She leaned over and gave Amy five quick big kisses on the cheek before blowing a raspberry on her neck. Amy giggled loudly and Ronnie beamed at her, over the moon that her baby niece always seemed at her happiest when she was with her. As the kettle continued to boil louder and louder it gradually drowned out the unusually loud talking from downstairs and Ronnie swayed her hips to comfort Amy who rested upon one of them. As Ronnie prepared cups of tea for everyone, she began to hum a song at Amy who still looked up at her with a big, brand-new-front-bottom-teeth grin and Ronnie smiled down at her.

Suddenly, as the kettle clicked to a finish, Ronnie heard a creak of the floorboard that lay on the little step down into the kitchen. She turned, half expecting to see her siblings and niece standing there, but to her surprise it was Jack, who leant against the frame of the door with his hands in his pockets wearing an almost _dreamy_ smile on his face. How long had he been there for? Surely she would've heard him coming up the stairs? Then again the kettle had been so noisy… but no matter how long he had been there, the point was he was standing right in front of her. Watching her carrying his daughter. Watching her every move. Ronnie couldn't help but melt at the sight of him. He wasn't dressed in his usual attire of a black suit, but instead was wearing jeans and a brown stripy t-shirt that Ronnie distinctly remembered buying for him for his birthday a couple of years ago. It brought out his eyes into a brilliant chocolate brown and Ronnie couldn't help her heart rate increase and a little shiver shooting down her spine, as he shot her a grin and spoke softly and quietly.

JACK: Hi.

Ronnie stood motionless with a small smile appearing on her face as she held a gurgling Amy in her arms, and watched the man she loved stand before her. This was it.

* * *

**I actually, myself, cant believe I've ended this chapter here! Argh what's he going to say?! What is SHE going to say?! I don't even know!! Like I say I just go with the flow…**

**Hope you liked this chapter - argh I **_**love**_** Rack. And I **_**love**_** writing Rack! Which is so what I'm going to do next :) yay!**

**Good ol' Drew and Jessie! Lets just hope no one disrupts the Rack convo…**

**Comments, Reviews, Love etc all appreciated :) thanks for all the lovely get-well wishes, really means a lot! I'll update asap! Soph xxx**


	20. Two Mugs of Tea

Ronnie froze and felt herself blush as the room around her melted away and all she became aware of was the man standing before her, and the baby in her arms. She smiled warmly at him and felt her heart rate increase as she watched Jack stand upright, away from the frame of the door, then step down into the kitchen. She waited patiently with baited breath for him to walk up to her, but he only walked a couple of steps closer then stopped, still wearing his dreamy grin as though he knew something. But what it was, Ronnie couldn't be sure.

Jack wasn't sure what else to say or do. He had taken Ronnie's smile as an invitation to join her in the room, but now he was here he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do anything more than talk to her. All he found himself doing was looking into her deep blue eyes, his heart rate increasing as he noticed her chest was moving up and down due to her breathing becoming fast and obvious. There was something about the sight of her soft smile and her beautiful, long blonde hair lying across her shoulders that made Jack want her more and more with each passing second. He looked from her to his baby daughter and just _wished_ that she was Amy's mother. He would give anything to have a baby with her. There was something just so maternal about her that made Jack so content as he watched his daughter beaming up at Ronnie, who shifted her up onto a more comfortable part of her hip. Jack continued to smile then motioned to the mugs:

JACK: One of them for me?

Ronnie snapped out of her dreamy trance and her heart dropped. Her family were due back in a matter of moments in time to ruin this perfect moment that she and Jack had. A perfect time to talk and be like it had been in the good old days. There hadn't been a sexual tension between them like this for a long time, and she'd really missed it.

RONNIE: Erm…yeah…well no, actually…

She forced a smile, to hide her disappointment that he couldn't really stay, as the kettle clicked off:

RONNIE: …my brother's in town. Drew. He's downstairs with Rox and Jessie now and they should be up in a minute so…

As she reached for the handle of the kettle, being sure to hold Amy away from it's burning shell, her hand tingled as she felt Jack's hand hastily envelope it's way around hers then hold it there for a moment.

JACK: Yeah I know. But they're not going to be up here anytime soon.

Ronnie paused:

RONNIE: How---

But Ronnie stopped as she realised that the reason her brother had taken so long to get to the Vic was because he had gone to see Jack. No doubt he had been tipped off by her niece. He must have encouraged Jack to come here. To speak to her. She took a deep breath before slowly turning her head to see Jack's face inches from hers, his dark brown eyes pouring into hers. His voice lowered to a whisper:

JACK: How about you just pour for two…

Ronnie swallowed, trying to hold back her temptation to kiss his sweet lips. The lips she hadn't tasted in days. The lips she had been desperate to kiss since she had spoken to him the night before.

_He checked the clock on the wall. 10.58pm. Jack stretched and yawned before looking to his right, at Ronnie and her niece on the sofa next to him. Jessica was curled up, asleep and resting against Ronnie who was gently stroking the hair from her niece's face, enjoying the opportunity to be maternal. She turned to her left and saw Jack looking at her with a small smile on his face. She kept her voice low so as not to disturb her sleeping niece:_

_RONNIE: What?_

_Jack shrugged and sat on the edge of the sofa, keeping his voice equally low:_

_JACK: It suits you._

_Ronnie tilted her head slightly to the side, frowning as she couldn't understand what he meant. Jack stood up and looked down at Ronnie, who had followed his movement with her eyes and he smiled._

_JACK: Motherhood._

_Ronnie's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words, then looked down at her peaceful niece as Jack took the empty glasses from the coffee table and through to the kitchen, ready for his morning chore of washing up. She knew what he had meant, because she felt it too. She couldn't help but imagine that this was what it would've been like if Danielle had been alive. They would've cuddled up on the sofa in front of a movie. They would've ploughed through a box of chocolates and a box of tissues at whatever chick flick they would've been watching. And Jack…who knows? He had been so nice to her since she'd arrived back at the flat with Jessica. He'd even offered her the bed in the master bedroom to sleep in which she forcefully turned down. It was bad enough she had called off their engagement abruptly and left him without reason, she couldn't take the bed as well. Jack walked back into the living room and motioned to the TV:_

_JACK: I'm gonna go to bed. Are you gonna watch any more of this?_

_Ronnie knew exactly why he'd asked. Jack was always one for switching off all mains before going to bed. It was a little secret of Jack's, that he was so anal about electricity being wasted. A secret that only Ronnie really knew about. To most people it would seem annoying but not to Ronnie. To Ronnie, this little secret was something that she loved about him because it proved he wasn't perfect. And it proved that he trusted and loved her enough to keep this little secret. A secret that he was so embarrassed about. She smiled and shook her head:_

_RONNIE: No, I don't think I'll be far behind you actually._

_Jack reached over, switched off the TV, unplugged it, then turned to look at her seriously with his eyebrows raised:_

_JACK: You sure you're okay with sleeping on the sofa tonight. Cos I really don't mind you having the bed…_

_RONNIE: No really, I'll be fine._

_Jack gave her an understanding smile and for a split second Ronnie felt like saying 'why don't we __both__ sleep in the bed?' but she held back. She knew it would be weird and something that neither of them were ready for._

_JACK: Right…okay…well…good night Ronnie._

_RONNIE: Night Jack._

_Jack exhaled loudly as he left the two blondes on the sofa, desperately wishing that his relationship wasn't so complicated that he could tell Ronnie he loved her before he went to sleep, like he always used to. Ronnie watched as Jack left and she felt her heart lurching after him. She looked back sadly at the blank TV and under her breath said the words she had been so used to saying to him before going to sleep:_

_RONNIE: I love you._

Ronnie continued to look longingly into Jack's eyes, then cleared her throat as a smile grew on her face and she looked down at the four mugs lined up in front of her. She released her grip on the kettle causing Jack to move his hand away from hers as she opened a cupboard, took hold of two of the mugs then put them back onto the shelf as she spoke in an equally quiet voice:

RONNIE: Two teas it is.

* * *

The pub had quickly become busy as the time hit 12pm. Drew and Jessica sat on two stools at the corner of the bar as they watched Roxy racing about like a mad hatter trying to serve each punter as quickly as possible so she could get back to chatting to her brother and niece. Drew leaned towards his daughter keeping his voice low and his eye on his sister so she couldn't hear them:

DREW: So do you reckon it worked?

Jessica just shrugged, also keeping an eye on her Aunt, as well as an eye out for her Mum who could walk in at any moment - not that she imagined her Mum to be a big drinker but from what she had heard from her dad... She stirred her Orange Juice and Lemonade around with a straw thoughtfully, trying to block out all the horrible stories that her dad had told her about her mum, knowing that now she had begun to get to know her she could start making her own decisions about what Tanya was _really_ like. She continued on the conversation in hand:

JESSICA: I guess so, I haven't seen Auntie Ron storm down here yet. I'm guessing the loud talking was a distraction so Jack could get into the building without any difficulty or questions, yes?

Drew smiled, chuffed that his daughter had cottoned onto the plan well.

DREW: Yeah, I'm relieved you'd picked up on it and talked loudly too!

JESSICA: Well I did wonder. _Was_ there a plan then?

DREW: Of course! Your old man _always_ has a plan!

He grinned at her and Jessica raised her eyebrows nonchalantly, taking a big swig of her drink, waiting for the inevitable explanation:

DREW: All Jack had to do was wait for me to talk then he could come through the door and wait for you to respond to my question and that would be the thumbs up for him to go upstairs. Simple and somewhat genius I think!

JESSICA: Naturally…

Jessica smiled, understanding the full picture now. She had to admit, she'd expected her Dad to be in a right state after having to come up against Jack. She knew neither had seen eye to eye at one point in time:

JESSICA: So how _did_ it go with Jack?

Drew hesitated. He didn't like admitting he was wrong and sighed heavily:

DREW: Well you were right…

Jessica's face lit up in an 'I was right?! But I'm never right!' kind of way and Drew rolled his eyes, admitting defeat then quickly continuing before giving his daughter time to gloat.

DREW: He does seem pretty perfect for your Auntie V. Lets just hope he can find the right words yeah?

Jessica nodded, looking around the pub nervously. Nervous as to who would come through the door of the pub next. Nervous about what her Dad would say if he knew she had already met her Mum. Nervous about her youngest Aunt potentially picking up on their plan. Nervous about the outcome of her eldest Aunt's encounter with Jack.

* * *

Jack shifted his body nervously on the sofa that sat in the living room of the Vic as he waited for Ronnie to put a sleepy Amy in her cot, then join him. They hadn't really said much to each other in the past few minutes and the silence was slowly killing him. He knew what he wanted to say, he just had to unjumble all the words in his head so it would make sense when he spoke it. Suddenly he heard a little creak of the floorboards in the landing and he turned to see Ronnie standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and a small smile on her face as she paused to take a good look of him. His heart leapt as he took in her beauty. She wasn't dressed in anything over-special but he did take note that she wore the purple top that he loved on her…and off her… She hadn't straightened her hair, so it had it's natural waves which was one of Jack's favourite things about her physical appearance.

Ronnie took a deep breath, she could feel herself beginning to shake with nerves and anticipation. She wasn't sure why, it wasn't like she'd never met Jack before. If anything, he knew her better than anyone else did. She slowly stepped into the room and approached the sofa, her eyes not pulling away from his gaze once. She jumped slightly as he moved forward and perched on the edge of the sofa then picked up the two cups of tea that had been sat on the coffee table for a minute or so. Ronnie took this opportunity to sit on the sofa and Jack turned to her holding out her tea to her:

JACK: Sit back and relax, or you wont feel the benefit.

RONNIE: The benefit?

JACK: Of the tea.

RONNIE: Oh…right…

So she did as she was told, sitting back with an embarrassed smile on her face as she gratefully took the mug from Jack's hands and crossed her legs, with them pointing towards him as he sat back with his own mug of tea. They both sat silently, blowing steam off the top of their mugs and looking into each other's eyes with equally goofy grins on their faces. Jack wanted desperately to say something to her but he was worried that it would spoil this perfect moment that had been created. He took a deep breath and spoke as calmly and quietly as possible:

JACK: I'm sorry Ron. For what I said. You know, a few of days ago. It was stupid of me. I just…felt a bit betrayed, you know---

RONNIE: ---Don't.

Ronnie interrupted in a whispered voice. Her stomach had twisted as she'd watched Jack's face drop when he'd spoken to her. She couldn't believe he was apologising when it was all her fault. She had been the one that had manipulated his trust. She had been the one going behind his back and piercing the condoms so they could 'accidentally' get pregnant.

RONNIE: It was my fault. I shouldn't have manipulated you. I was in a bad place back then. But the time I had away was good for me… I've had time to think and to talk…and that's really helped me…you know…start to heal.

She looked up at Jack with a desperate face, praying that he believed every word she was saying:

RONNIE: I'm a better person than I was a few days ago. I've been able to speak to Jessie about how I've been feeling and…I guess what I'm trying to say is sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry that I completely screwed up our relationship by my stupid, obsessive actions.

Jack brought his free arm up and leant it on the back of the sofa, reaching out to stroke Ronnie's face. She closed her eyes at his touch and couldn't help feeling comforted by his presence.

JACK: You didn't screw up our relationship. I mean…the things you did…its because you're still…

RONNIE: …grieving?

She looked deep into his eyes and sighed as she saw the answer in his face without even needing to hear it. She smiled slightly:

RONNIE: Yeah, I've been an idiot. And because of what I did I pushed the one good thing in my life away.

She took a deep breath as she realised she had thought out loud. Butterflies were racing around in her stomach as she watched Jack's mouth open in surprise at her admission. He smiled at her and she calmed slightly, relieved that he hadn't just got up off the sofa and ran out of the building. He continued to stroke her face and all she wanted to do was feel his arms around her and melt into them. Jack took a deep breath, finally finding one of the lines that he had been wanting to say to her since he'd seen her that morning:

JACK: You don't have to be alone, you know…while you're still in the state of unknown…

Ronnie lifted her eyes up to his and she could feel her urge to be held by him become stronger:

RONNIE: I don't?

JACK: Of course not.

He took her mug of tea and placed it back on the coffee table with his, then sat back slightly closer to Ronnie, who's breathing had become heavier and faster, and his heart raced as he became ready to say the words he'd been longing to say to her for three days:

JACK: Because I'm here. I've always been here Ronnie. And I always will be. I'll be right beside you during your ups and your downs, whenever you need me and whenever you don't need me…

Ronnie slowly began to smile as Jack spoke and she felt safe in his presence, safer than she'd ever felt before.

JACK: Because I'm in love you Ronnie Mitchell.

Ronnie took a deep breath and she felt a huge smile grow on her face as tears began to well up in her eyes. He was _in_ love with her. No man had ever said they were _in_ love with her. And in that moment she knew that no matter what happened. No matter what kind of bad day she found herself in, she knew he would always be there for her.

JACK: And I don't care what you do or say, there is no way you can get rid of me, even if you'd want to!

Ronnie giggled, then stopped abruptly as she noticed that her mouth was only inches away from his. She took a deep breath as she spoke with a hushed voice:

RONNIE: I'm in love with you too Jack Branning.

She could feel his minty-fresh breath like a wave over her face as she noticed he was breathing just as heavily as she was. The smell of his familiar aftershave turned her on and she slowly responded to his advances by moving towards him, looking deep into his eyes then slowly closing hers as she waited for the inevitable connection of lips to happen. And boy did it happen. Ronnie froze as the room around her melted again and a warm, excitable feeling rushed through her body from her mouth right the way down to her toes as she could feel Jack's hand cup her cheek then push her hair back from her ear as their kiss became more intense and passionate. As Jack gently and reluctantly pulled away from her, Ronnie's eyes remained closed and her face expressionless as she tried to hold onto the intense feeling that had hit her during the kiss. As she slowly opened her eyes her mouth grew into the goofy smile she had had earlier and she exhaled loudly. Neither said anything to the other, instead they just looked into each other's eyes, knowing they were thinking the same thing. Ronnie took another deep breath, and her heart raced with nerves as she tactfully said the words her niece had suggested she say earlier on:

RONNIE: So I was thinking…did you…maybe…want to start things from where we left off? I mean…not _exactly_ where we left off…because I…but…I mean…I…

She began to stutter she was so nervous. She didn't want to pour salt in the wounds by mentioning that she had left him and her engagement ring behind after one simple argument. But Jack took her left hand and caressed it, a smile appearing on his face without taking his eyes off her once and speaking to her soft and slow:

JACK: I hoped you were going to say that, because I really wanted to do this perfectly, unlike the first time around…

Ronnie's heart leapt with excitement and nerves as she watched Jack rummage in the pocket of his jeans to pull out a familiar small black box and opened it to reveal a small platinum engagement ring. Jack cleared his throat nervously, hoping that Ronnie wouldn't get mad by his actions and take off again:

JACK: I would get down on one knee but I'm gonna take that as a sign of bad luck…

Ronnie giggled, sniffing as a tear ran down her cheek and she watched with baited breath as Jack looked deep into her eyes with a big smile on his face and cleared his throat:

JACK: …so, Veronica Elizabeth Mitchell…will you make me the happiest man in the world…will you marry me?

RONNIE: Yes.

Ronnie didn't even hesitate. It had always been yes. Like the first time around. Even before then. She'd always known they were meant to be together. They'd just had a mix of fortunate and unfortunate history, that was all. Tears of happiness slowly began to fall down her cheeks as both she and Jack smiled and giggled with joy. Jack placed the ring on her finger then cupped her cheek softly again and slowly kissed her. This time it was Ronnie's turn to reluctantly pull away, she just needed to lay a couple of ground rules:

RONNIE: On one condition.

Jack raised his eyebrows and a small bemused smile grew on his face as he saw the real Ronnie he knew and loved sat before him, speaking in a soft hush of a voice that had the essence of venerability about it, an essence he had never heard in her voice before:

RONNIE: You promise you'll never leave me.

Jack looked at her in all seriousness as she revealed to him a secret fear of hers:

JACK: As long as you never leave me.

Ronnie smiled, knowing full well that he was referring to the situation a few days ago where she had left the flat and the engagement ring in it, without any warning.

RONNIE: I promise.

Jack smiled and kept his voice low as he felt the ring on her finger and looked deep into her eyes again:

JACK: I promise too.

They both leaned back in the sofa, this time Ronnie _had_ melted into Jack's arms and he brushed the fringe from her eyes as he smiled down at her:

JACK: For better, for worse.

Ronnie giggled as she looked up at the man she loved. The man she had back. The man who she was going to spend the rest of her life with. And the man who was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

RONNIE: For better, for worse.

*** * ***

**I'm sorry for the delay in update but I had a horrible moment of writers block :( I just wanted to get this chapter perfect…hope it was okay!**

**I love these two :) I had to do it! I had to get them back together.**

**Right, so next chapter will include a tiddly bit of Roxy, and a lot of Drew, Jessie and…guess :)**

**Will update asap but may not be till Friday now - BIG apologies! **

**Oooh, I've got 97 comments so far...I wonder who will be comment #100? :D**

**Hope this Rack-filled chapter keeps you going till then though! Thanks, Soph xxx**


	21. She Knew

_Jessica sat, slowly swirling a stirrer around in her empty glass as she giggled to herself in an almost dreamy fashion whilst rubbing her bump. Roxy kept an eye on her niece just like she had promised her brother - who had just popped to the toilet - but she couldn't understand why her niece was so giggly. It wasn't like she had ever seen Jessica unhappy, miserable or upset - not like her other niece, Danielle, had been. But Roxy had to wonder when this side of her would come out. That was, if it even existed in Jessica. She noted her niece's empty glass, so threw together another orange and lemonade then slowly walked over to her, put the new drink down and folded her arms with a suspicious look on her face._

_ROXY: You giggling at me?_

_Jessica looked up with a big grin and shook her head._

_JESSICA: No. He keeps wriggling around._

_She motioned to her bump and a smile crept onto Roxy's face as she remembered the highs of her pregnancy._

_ROXY: Pretty cool isn't it._

_JESSICA: Uh-huh._

_Roxy watched as her niece began to suck from the straw of her new drink. She couldn't believe how grown up she was. And so much different to Danielle. So much more confident, happy and had a way with Ronnie that Roxy had never seen with anyone before. And now her little…big niece was having a baby. She was jumping into a new realm of responsibilities. _

_ROXY: So you and your man thought of any names?_

_Jessica took a deep breath not wanting to reveal much in case she revealed too much. She started looking around the pub as she spoke, so as not to catch her Aunt's eye:_

_JESSICA: We were looking at names from our families. Frederick…Freddie after his great granddad. Or there's Edward which I think was my great, great granddad's name…_

_Roxy smiled at the slight recognition of the name:_

_ROXY: Yeah I think so…_

_ARCHIE: What about Archie?_

_A chill shot down Jessica's spine as she heard the voice she was praying she wouldn't hear again. Roxy looked at the startled expression from her niece then up to her Dad who had sidled up to them with that same old look of desperation on his face that she had seen a million times before. Her face became sullen and cold, and her voice became harsh and unwelcoming:_

_ROXY: I don't believe we were asking you._

_JESSICA: Besides, I don't want to name my child after a killer._

_Archie looked down at his granddaughter who was looking up at him with a steely expression that immediately reminded him of his daughter, Ronnie. He was surprised with her sharp response that cut him like a knife. He was baffled._

_ARCHIE: A killer?! But…_

_Jessica stood up abruptly almost knocking the stool she had been sitting on over, and it was at that point that Archie realised just how tall she was. Not as tall as him of course, but certainly Ronnie's height. He suddenly realised that this granddaughter of his, the granddaughter he had never known had existed wasn't a child, she was a woman. She was nothing like Danielle. She was strong, bold and gutsy, yet tactful. Said what she wanted to if it were necessary. This woman wasn't needy, or in need of protection. And for the first time in a long time Archie felt a little intimidated. He knew nothing about this woman, yet she seemed to know about him. Archie couldn't help but notice how much she reminded him of how Ronnie used to be when she was a teenager, spitting out spiteful comments from a sturdy disposition - except this time around, with this woman, he had no idea what he could use to throw back at her._

_JESSICA: You killed my best friend!_

_ARCHIE: What?! I don't even know who your best friend i---_

_JESSICA: Danielle. Jones. My cousin! You killed her._

_Archie didn't know what to say. Danielle had been her best friend?! But…how had they known each other? Ronnie hadn't even known who Danielle was, so how had his granddaughter?_

_ARCHIE: But…I didn't kill her. It was Janine. She was driving the car and she hit her…_

_Jessica heard a tut come from the corner of the now-silent pub as onlookers watched on, and she presumed that it must have come from this Janine woman. But she didn't turn to see what she looked like. Instead she kept her sharp blue eyes focused angrily on her granddad. This was the first time she had really looked at him, and even the sight of him disgusted her. She was embarrassed and ashamed to even be related to him. She spoke in a soft and deadly tone, as though taunting his current venerability:_

_JESSICA: You knew who she was. You knew she was alive. You could have told Auntie Ronnie. But you didn't. If you had, Danielle wouldn't have been alone. She wouldn't have been out on that street. She would've been safely wrapped in the arms of her mother where she belonged._

_There was a hush, but for the distant flush from the men's toilets, as Jessica finished her sentence and Archie went pale as he looked into the face of his granddaughter and realised that he couldn't read her mind. He had no idea what she was thinking, what she might say next or what she might do._

_JESSICA: Now get out._

_ARCHIE: I just want to get to know you darlin'…_

_DREW: You heard her…_

_Archie turned around, surprised by the voice, but even more surprised by who it had come from._

_ARCHIE: Andrew?!_

_He hadn't seen his son in over twenty years and to his surprise, Drew hadn't really changed much. He seemed more muscular, and had shadows under his eyes indicating to Archie that he had been quite stressed recently. But other then that there was still that familiar stern look, heavy posture that made it seem like he was a brick wall - difficult to get past - and those piercing blue eyes that he had inherited from his mother. Drew turned to his daughter, who held a hand over her bump as though protecting it from her granddad:_

_DREW: JJ why don't you go upstairs and stay with your Auntie Ron for now..._

Jessica sat at the bottom of the stairs of the Vic, exhaling loudly as she heard her Dad viciously talking away to her granddad at the bar. Things had happened so quickly. Her granddad had turned up out of the blue, much to her disappointment, and had managed to ruin this already turbulent day. Suddenly she heard the distinct giggle of her Aunt from upstairs, though slightly more exaggerated which Jessica presumed was her 'in love giggling' and as if by magic her Auntie Ronnie and Jack appeared at the top of the stairs with big smiles on their faces. The smiles quickly faded as they noticed Jessica's forlorn face staring up at them. Ronnie pelted it down the rest of the stairs and immediately sat next to her niece, brushing the fringe out of the girl's face, questioning the tears in her eyes:

RONNIE: Oh Jessie…what's wrong?

But before Jessica could say anything Drew's voice rumbled through from the bar:

DREW: Get OUT!

Ronnie's face dropped and stood up, realising that only one person could rile her brother up that way. Jessica watched as her Aunt put her guard up whilst walking through to the bar and she squeezed her eyes closed ready for the inevitable cut-throat conversation that would ensue. This was all her fault. If she hadn't come here then her Dad wouldn't be here. Instead they would be home, giggling about something in the newspaper whilst doing up the new flat that Jessica and her boyfriend had recently bought. Suddenly she felt someone sit next to her and reassuringly stroke her back and she opened her eyes to see the concerned look of Jack, who had sat down as a form of support whilst her family fought her battle for her.

RONNIE: Is there a problem?

Her father turned to watch her walk through to the bar as she asked her rhetorical question - she knew full well there was a problem and he was standing right in front of her.

ARCHIE: V, I…I just want to talk to her…to meet her properly…I don't even know her name!

RONNIE: Good.

It was as though, from the moment she had stepped into the room, everything surrounding her had gone ice cold. She could feel her sisters angry presence as Roxy stood beside her, making her that much stronger. They both glared at their father, as their brother stood opposite him wearing a face just as threatening as his sisters. Ronnie folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at her father, who looked rather perplexed by the team of Mitchells he was up against:

RONNIE: Have you been asked to leave yet?

ARCHIE: I---

ROXY: ---Yes. Several times.

RONNIE: Well what are you waiting for?

Ronnie's sharp blue eyes pierced into Archie's and he suddenly felt venerable as he looked from one daughter to the other, then over to his son. He could tell he had lost for now. So with one last sigh he shrugged and started to leave:

ARCHIE: Okay. But like I said, I just want to get to know my granddaughter…

DREW: OUT!!

Archie grudgingly walked away muttering something about never thinking his own kids would turn against him and the three Mitchell siblings exhaled loudly at the same time as they watched their father leave the building. Normality returned to the pub as the punters began gossiping about the commotion and Drew sat back down, turning to his pint as Ronnie and Roxy walked over to him, completing the group huddle. Drew looked at his sisters with an impressed look on his face and they smiled at him:

ROXY: What?

DREW: You guys can certainly fight your own battles now.

Ronnie and Roxy giggled as their big brother took a big swig from his glass:

RONNIE: Yeah well we're big girls now and we don't need _you_ anymore.

She pointed a teasing finger at her brother. He stared at her hand in surprise and grabbed it, inspecting the engagement ring that shone from it:

DREW: So I see... Engaged much?

He raised his eyebrows as Ronnie took her hand back, slightly embarrassed that this was the way she had told him:

DREW: I advised him to tell you how he felt about you, not to propose.

Ronnie giggled as she watched her brother throw her an unimpressed look, but she knew deep down he was pleased for her. Roxy however looked confused.

ROXY: Hold on…did Jack just _propose_ to you? Wha… I leave you to make a cuppa tea and in that time you've managed to get engaged… anything else we should know??

Ronnie shrugged with a nonplussed look on her face:

RONNIE: Nope, not really.

DREW: Speak of the devil…

He motioned to Jack who slowly walked around the side of the bar with a questioning look on his face and he took the stool next to Drew, then looked over at Ronnie:

JACK: You all okay?

Ronnie took a deep breath, hardly having time to recover from her outburst and her voice quietened:

RONNIE: Yeah I'm alright.

A smile grew on her face as Jack took hold of her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She leaned over the bar towards him in the hope of a kiss but both Roxy and Drew rolled their eyes in disgust:

DREW: Ugh, cant you guys get a room? Actually…no don't…

He pointed a threatening finger at Jack who was taken aback by the motion, and looked into his eyes:

DREW: You ever hurt my little sister and I swear…

RONNIE: Drew!!

She playfully hit her brother's wrist, mortified that he was threatening her fiancee. Drew grinned and gave Jack a clap on the back.

DREW: I'm joking! Haha, the look on your face.

It was true, Jack's face had dropped when he thought that he was being threatened by Ronnie's big brother. He was worried it would be yet another barrier in the relationship. But to his relief Drew just laughed, as did Roxy who had enjoyed the brief wave of nerves that had appeared on Jack's face. Ronnie however rolled her eyes and shook her head then gave him a reassuring look.

RONNIE: Don't mind him.

Roxy handed Jack a glass of whiskey:

ROXY: How's Amy doing?

JACK: She was asleep upstairs the last I saw of her.

ROXY: I might go and check on her. Ron can you keep an eye out here?

Ronnie nodded yet continued to talk to Jack, giving Roxy the freedom to go upstairs,.

RONNIE: How's Jessie doing?

Jack shrugged:

JACK: A bit upset. A bit worried. She's just on the phone to her boyfriend so I left her to it.

Drew smiled and rolled his eyes:

DREW: They're always on the phone to each other them two. Unless they're together of course. He's a good guy is Sean.

Roxy wandered up the stairs, smiling as she stepped past her niece on the way, who was talking on the phone.

JESSICA: I really, really, _really_ miss you!

She smiled at her Aunt then waited for her to get out of earshot before lowering her voice to a harsh and worried whisper:

JESSICA: What do you _mean_ you're here?! What about Auntie Rox? She'd flip out!

She stopped as she heard a light knocking at the back door which she was sat opposite.

JESSICA: Sean…if that's you…knock to the theme of Baa-Baa-Black-Sheep…

She waited with baited breath, but there was no other knock and she calmed, realising that it could be just her Auntie Peg and her boyfriend had just been teasing her like he usually did. She lightly crept down the stairs and over to the door. As she reached a hand out to the handle though, a light knocking to the theme of Baa-Baa-Black-Sheep ensued and Jessica's heart jumped into her mouth. She wrenched the door open to see the cheeky dimple-grin of her boyfriend staring back at her. She couldn't help but smile at his presence, she hadn't seen him in over two days, the longest time she'd been without him since they had started going out. She threw her arms around him and took in the sexy smell of his aftershave as he twirled her around and planted a big kiss on her lips. She giggled then lightly touched down and her boyfriend bent down to speak to her bump:

SEAN: And how's my little man doing? Daddy's missed you so much!

Jessica giggled, thinking how absurd this may seem to someone watching, but she loved how paternal her boyfriend seemed.

JESSICA: Sean, he's not out of the womb yet you know…how could you _possibly _miss him?

SEAN: I know but…I guess I missed you _and_ him. At the same time.

Sean stood up and sighed happily as he stared down at his beautiful girlfriend. He leant down and kissed her slow and romantically as her arms wrapped around his neck and his arms wrapped as best they could around her waist. He'd missed her so much, and risking life and limb to come back here was worth it just to see her smile and feel her arms around him again.

ROXY: Sean?!

All of a sudden the light that had been shining around them disappeared and both Jessica and Sean parted, shocked that they had been discovered together by the one person they had feared would find them. Roxy slowly walked down the stairs carrying a baby monitor, her body felt numb at the sight of her husband who she had thought she would never see again. Jessica's heart began to thump fast as she clung to Sean's hand. She knew her Aunt would never understand. She knew her Aunt had a temper if she didn't get her own way.

Screaming began to incur from the bar again, this time Jessica knew it was the voice of her mother, but she couldn't move. She wanted to. She wanted to go out there. She wanted to explain to her Dad, who she knew would be in her mother's firing line. But she couldn't.

The blood rushed to her ears as she reached the bottom of the stairs and stood motionless but all Roxy could do was stare at the couple before her. How could her niece _do_ this?! Did she have any idea that the father of her child was actually _her _husband?!

Jessica nervously took a deep, shuddering breath as her son started wriggling around in her womb again. She knew.

*** * ***

**Dun-Dun-DUNNNNN!! So there's Roxy's twist. And you're all gonna think I'm crazy but I thought it was an interesting concept…**

**Sorry if **_**no **_**facts make sense or that having Jessica know that Sean was married to her Aunt is something only a crazy person would write but…well I guess I'm crazy!**

**So what did you think of the chapter? Hope it was okay. Sorry it's taken so long to update, I had a bit of writers block and I've been soooooo busy this week!**

**Comments and reviews really REALLY appreciated as this is the big chapter I've been dying to write since I started this fic. Thanks a billion :) Soph xxxxx**


	22. How Could You Do It?

**First off - major apologies for the lack in update! I've had the most horrible case of writers-block timed in with an overhaul of shifts at work which hadn't made the process any better…I really hope this chapter lives up to the wait you've all had to endure!**

*** * ***

Ronnie froze as the last name her brother said rang in her ears:

RONNIE: Sean??

She looked from her brother who shrugged and nodded as though this was no big deal, over to Jack who's face had dropped to the concerned look that mirrored hers. She could tell that he was thinking the same thing she was and with a shaky voice she spoke up:

RONNIE: Out of curiosity, what's his last name?

Ronnie closed her eyes, grimacing as she waited with baited breath for the inevitable surname to leave her brother's lips. But before Drew could say anything the door of the pub slammed open and Ronnie opened her eyes to see her brother's face become pale with shock despite his stern expression as he looked over at the new punter who had barged through the door. Ronnie turned, knowing full well who she would be looking at and her presumptions were right as Tanya started to pace determinedly over to Drew with tears already beginning to stream down her pale face. Drew took in a deep breath as he saw Tanya approach him, raise her hands and slap him several times on the chest as she vented her frustration, screaming a word per slap at him:

TANYA: _HOW-COULD-YOU-DO-IT??_

A chill ran down Ronnie's spine as she heard Tanya's distressed voice in a tone so familiar to her own a few months ago at her father's wedding, then watched as the woman crumbled into a heap on the floor before her eyes, crying uncontrollably. She looked up to see her brother's heartbroken face as he watched the mother of his daughter fall to pieces. Ronnie's blood boiled as looked over to the door which Tanya had come through and saw her father's head peeping in through the door of the Vic, a sinister grin on his face that told Ronnie that he had fetched Tanya and told her that Drew was in the neighbourhood. He walked back out and Ronnie started to run round the bar to help as Tanya's voice continued to ring around the crowded pub:

TANYA: _All you had to do was protect her! All you had to do was prevent her from getting hurt! And now…now…_

Jack reached out and caught Ronnie's hand, pulling her back. She glared questioningly at him but he motioned to the door of the Vic, which had opened and welcomed in Max, who had dashed into the building after his wife.

TANYA: …_and now she's getting into the same mess we did!_

Drew looked up to see Max rushing over to Tanya and take her by the hands in an attempt to try to help her up with a low, calm and soothing voice:

MAX: Tan…Tan it's okay. I'm here. Come on now, what's happened?

Tanya slowly stood up, stammering and stuttering slightly as she wiped the tears from her face with a shaky hand. She said nothing, but looked past Max, right at Drew, who still had no idea what to do or say. Max turned to see who Tanya was looking at and his heart rate increased as he saw Jessica's father standing before them. They hadn't been in the same room together in a long time, but they still shared a mutual respect when Tanya was involved. Max courteously nodded:

MAX: Alright Drew?

Drew gave a small smile of recognition, but it still hurt him to see Tanya in such a state. And even worse, to see Max as her only form of comfort as he watched Tanya's husband put a reassuring arm around her.

DREW: Yeah…yeah I was…I'm just here cos of---

MAX: ---Jessie? Yeah I saw her earlier. You've done a good job with her Drew.

Drew's smile grew into a grateful one but soon faded as Tanya snorted, clearly unimpressed. Max looked questioningly from Drew to his wife:

TANYA: If you think letting her get pregnant is a good job then…well you'd be right!

Max's face turned into shock and he looked back over at Drew, who refused to look him in the eye and instead looked hopelessly at Tanya, not knowing what to do or say.

MAX: Jessie's pregnant?

Drew nodded slowly, never having imagined that Tanya would have reacted the way she had done. He thought she would've been more supporting. More understanding. More desperate to be a part of their daughter's life now that she was entering a new stage in her life. But instead she had got out of control. Max exhaled loudly then briefly squeezed his wife closer to him, causing her to look up at him. He raised his eyebrows at her and smiled slightly.

MAX: Looks like you're gonna be a nan.

Tanya paused as she looked from Max's positive face, to Drew's nervous face, then back to Max's again. Before she knew it a watery smile had grown onto her face and she giggled slightly.

TANYA: Yeah I guess I am.

Drew's blood bubbled again. If she thought she was going to be invited into this baby's life she had another thing coming. There would have to be a process. She would have to prove that she would be around - she couldn't just pop in and out of their lives whenever she wanted.

DREW: We'll leave that decision up to Jessie, yeah?

Tanya's face fell as she heard Drew's fateful words. He hadn't forgotten. Time hadn't changed the past. He still hadn't forgiven her for what she had done all those years ago. And she couldn't blame him, after all her little outburst right now hadn't helped seal the wounds any quicker. Tanya's swallowed loudly as her sobs subsided and she knew that from now on she had to think before she did or said anything concerning Jessica, especially around Drew. She slowly nodded as a form of acknowledgement to what he had just said, despite disagreeing with it. It was in this moment of calm, where the punters around them had turned back to their drinks to continue their gossiping, that Tanya could finally take in the man who stood before her. The man she had fallen in love with over twenty years ago. No matter how hard she fought her feelings, no matter how much she told herself she loved her husband, her heart had always belonged to the man before her. She couldn't believe how similar he seemed and looked to the last time she had seen him, over seven years ago. He still had the same old 'I-don't-care-about-how-I-look-on-the-outside-it's-what's-on-the-inside-that-counts' style and attitude. He was still very tall, his hair was much shorter now, presumably to fit in with the style of today (the curse of having a teenage daughter she presumed) and she couldn't help but stare at his stubble which had always made him so attractive to her. She looked further up his face and locked eyes with him. Those deep blue eyes that had always enchanted her. Those eyes that always made her fall in love with him again and again and again and---

Suddenly Tanya jumped as Max squeezed her arm and she snapped out of her trance, hastily putting a hand to her blushing face, hoping to hide her embarrassment. Drew merely smiled at the recognisable look on Tanya's face. It had been the look he had been so used to when they had been together all those years ago. In a moment it had felt as though it had been, back then. Before all the complications. Back in a simpler time. He smiled then turned to his sister who still looked shocked by the commotion. He didn't want her to make a big deal of everything, and fortunately that wasn't really Ronnie's style. She was more of a 'lets-talk-about-it-discreetly-later' woman. His other sister however…

RONNIE: Rox?

Ronnie turned to see her sister slowly step behind the bar, pale and sweaty as though she had just seen a ghost. Ronnie frowned, worried that something may have happened to Amy but her heart jumped into her mouth as she saw the result of her little sister's fright.

RONNIE: Sean.

She wasn't sure why she had been so surprised at his entrance, but she couldn't help but gasp his name as the tall, red-headed man walked through, behind Jessica who held his hand with a rather nervous and guilty look on her face. Drew hadn't noticed the awkwardness of the situation and instead smiled widely, relieved that there was someone around that he knew well as a form of backup if he got verbally attacked again. He raised his pint as a form of greeting:

DREW: Sean! Knew you'd make it!

But nobody else smiled. Sean looked at the death-stares that came from Ronnie and Jack and couldn't help but have a feeling that he should be nervous by their presence. But he wasn't. So long as Jessica was with him he had no reason to be nervous, after all they _were_ her family - he knew he would've had to have met them at some point. Jack stood up tall and straight beside Ronnie with a stern look on his face, placing a hand on her lower back, feeling the need to protect her in some way. Roxy slowly walked round to the nearest bar stool and slumped on it with tears in her eyes, hardly being able to breath.

Jessica felt very nervous as she felt the eyes of her Aunt's and her mother on her. But she had no need to be nervous. She loved Sean. She was having a baby with him. She wasn't _technically_ doing anything wrong.

Tanya's heart began to race fast as she looked from her daughter's hand that clung to Sean's hand, over to her daughter's bump and in an instant she put two and two together.

TANYA: Wha…You…He…

She stuttered her way around her thoughts as she remembered the hell Sean had put her through the previous year. Tanya couldn't imagine anything worse than her little girl being pregnant, but actually there _was_ something worse, and he was standing before her very eyes. Her daughter was pregnant with Sean Slater's baby. She looked over at Drew who had been grinning at the sight of their daughter and this…_monster_ for a good minute, clearly with no idea what the father of Jessica's baby was capable of.

Drew looked round at the audience he was a part of and suddenly realised that no one around him was pleased to see the couple before them. He then looked over at his daughter who was looking upset and guiltily at Roxy, who now had her head in her hands as she silently cried. He looked directly at his daughter, demanding eye contact which he received immediately after he banged his pint glass on the surface of the bar:

DREW: Alright, what's going on?

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**So now Tanya's been reacquainted with Drew, the clan have met Sean so some big explaining is needed…which will luckily be in the next chapter - so stay tuned :)**

**Comments and feedback really appreciated! Thanks for keeping up guys, much love, Sophie xxx**


	23. We Need Some Time

The tension was high and Jessica could feel it as she and Sean followed the rest of the adults into the kitchen of the Vic, a place everyone had quickly agreed was the best place to go for a 'family meeting'. She stood nervously by the kitchen table as she looked round at the concerned, confused and stressed faces of her Auntie Ronnie, Jack, Max, her Mum, her Dad and her Auntie Rox. She still clasped a clammy hand onto Sean's who squeezed it reassuringly as she exhaled loudly. She had never imagined having to reveal this big deal to more than one person at a time. Actually she had planned to just tell one person then hoped that it would spread through the family like wildfire. Instead she had to face them all at once.

Drew raised his eyebrows for an explanation. He was so confused. Why did everybody seem so upset with Sean?

DREW: So…? What's going on JJ?

Jessica took a deep breath and looked nervously at her Dad, not knowing what to say.

JESSICA: Sean is…well he's actually…

ROXY: He's _my_ husband!

The words rang in Drew's ears and he quickly turned to look at his baby sister, who still had an angry look of disbelief on her tearstained face. She continued to stare at the couple standing before them and Drew joined her in looking at Jessica in disbelief.

DREW: Wha…what?! Is this true?

Neither Jessica nor Sean said anything but as they slowly nodded Drew groaned and quickly put his hands over his face, before bringing them down again and folded his arms - body language that Ronnie, Roxy, Tanya and Jessica all knew meant he was putting his defence up against someone - most likely to be Sean.

DREW: So…did you know that she was your wife's _niece_??

Now it was Sean's turn to feel nervous. He had never wanted to hurt Drew who was such a good, kind, understanding man - the perfect father-in-law. Drew had been more of a father to him in the months that he had known him then his own Dad had in his whole lifetime. Sean felt as though he had let a good man down, and it was this knowledge that made his stomach twist. Now it was Jessica's turn to reassuringly squeeze his hand for support.

SEAN: Yes but…

As Sean stuttered to get his words out Drew scoffed in disbelief, an action that reassured the rest of the line up of adults that he was finally getting to know the real, manipulative Sean that they had come across at one time or another.

SEAN: _…_but once Jessie knew the whole story she was okay with that fact.

DREW: What fact?

Now it was Roxy's turn to feel nervous and she quickly looked over at Jack who looked as suitably uncomfortable as she did, then to her sister who stood beside him, nervously shuffling her feet. Ronnie's heart was racing, praying that Jessica wouldn't reveal the reason for Sean and Roxy's broken marriage. If Drew ever found out what Jack did with Roxy then he would never forgive him and possibly do as much as he could to dissuade her from marrying Jack. She had managed to put the past behind her, she didn't want it to be brought up again. She didn't want it ruining yet another relationship that she and Jack had.

Jessica was beginning to get frustrated with her Dad, which didn't happen very often. He was being very unfair towards Sean, making him feel uncomfortable even though it wasn't his fault for this mix up.

JESSICA: Auntie Roxy made Sean believe that her baby was his! But Sean _isn't_ Amy's Dad…_Jack_ is!

Drew's mind was spinning as he listened to his daughter's impounding words. He looked from his baby sister that stood to his left over to his other sister and Jack, all of whom had guilty looks on their faces that told him what his daughter had just said was true.

JESSICA: So you see, you shouldn't blame Sean for wanting to start a new life! For wanting to find some happiness! He wanted all this because Auntie Rox had made him so miserable!

ROXY: It doesn't matter what happened Jessie! It's the principle. What you two are doing is…having an _affair_! You're having an affair with _my_ husband! And you knew it all along! You knew who he was and that was why you were so secretive about him, why you didn't want to reveal anything about him…

Roxy took several deep breaths after finally finding the words that had been bottled up inside of her over the minutes that she had been within Sean's company. Tanya, not being used to such strong family confrontations as this, jumped as she looked from her daughter over to Roxy, completely taken aback by Roxy's sudden eruption then back over at Jessica again, surprised and impressed to see that her daughter hadn't flinched in the slightest, like a true Mitchell. Jessica had a face like thunder, her hatred for her youngest Aunt bubbled up inside of her, providing a perfect guard around her feelings. She lowered her tone and spoke in a calm, determined voice, unnerved by her Aunt's outburst.

JESSICA: Sean has been honest with me from the word go. The moment he knew that you and I were related he told me he was married to you. Then he told me about what you and Jack had done. How you'd lied to him and Auntie Ron to the very end. You destroyed two good people's lives. I promised him that I would never let him down, that I would never lie to him or leave him like you did. I promised him things because I love him.

TANYA: You cant be serious!

Jessica jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. She had forgotten she was even in the room with them. She turned her nose up at her mother's judgemental face:

JESSICA: Who asked you? You don't have a right to have an opinion of my life!

The kitchen fell silent as all eyes were on Jessica, the holder of all the answers. Tanya was hurt, taken aback by her daughter's vicious response and she could tell that Jessica was stressed and worked up. Ronnie's heart was racing as she watched a distressed Jessica before her eyes. This situation with Tanya really wasn't good for the baby. All she wanted to do was run over to her niece, wrench her away from Sean and Tanya and keep her with her at all times, a place where she knew she would be safe. She couldn't explain why her feelings were multiplied in intensity but they were. She just wanted Jessica to be safe, and she knew as long as she was with Sean she wouldn't be.

RONNIE: She's got a point Jessie, Sean's bad news.

Jessica's aggravation was increasing. One of the reasons she had disliked her Auntie Ronnie before recent days was because Sean had revealed to Jessica that Ronnie hated him. But now thanks to the new found relationship that the Aunt and niece had built over the past couple of day's, the feelings that would've been hatred towards her Auntie Ronnie were only feelings of frustration. Why wasn't she supporting her like she thought she would?

JESSICA: Not you too!

RONNIE: Yes me too!

Ronnie's voice rose to overtake Jessica's loud, sharp voice - she was just as frustrated that this _girl_ couldn't see the bigger picture and she stepped forward, standing upright to enhance her opinion, pointing angrily at Sean.

RONNIE: So long as you're with him you will never be safe!

JESSICA: So long as I'm with him I _feel_ safe!

RONNIE: _BUT YOU'RE NOT SAFE, DANIELLE, YOU'RE JUST NOT!_

A hush blew over the kitchen and the argument came to a halt as Ronnie stepped back, slowly pushing back her fringe and exhaling, upset that an insecure feeling of hers had been released. Jessica gawped at her Aunt, the anger and frustration melting away as she looked over at her Auntie Ronnie with the deepest of sympathy. Tears began to appear in Ronnie's eyes as she moved over to the kitchen table and took a seat, embarrassed by her outburst and her revealed venerability. Jessica knew that there was something more to what had just been said and - despite knowing what it was deep down inside - she wanted to know from her Aunt herself. So without looking away from Ronnie's venerable figure she spoke in a soft and quiet voice to the rest of the room:

JESSICA: Everyone out.

The room remained silent, all but for Roxy swallowing loudly, and nobody moved. Jessica turned to the group and motioned to the door:

JESSICA: Please. We need some time.

Roxy was the first to leave, knowing that her presence wasn't needed and hoping to avoid anymore contact with her brother for now. Max followed, and slowly lead Tanya out of the room, who couldn't tear her eyes off her daughter who had stood and fought her own battle and seemed to have won for now. Drew looked from his broken little sister - who had her head in her hands at the kitchen table - then gave his daughter a look of an offer to help but Jessica slowly shook her head, smiling slightly in thanks for the thought. Drew took the signs and sighed as he slowly left the room. Jessica was left in the room with her boyfriend, Aunt and her Aunt's fiancée. Both men looked concerned at their respective partners but Jessica moved her head to the side to get Jack's attention. He looked hopelessly from his fiancée over to his fiancée's niece and sighed, heartbroken that in this particular situation he would be no help and Jessica shot him as reassuring a smile as she could, before he slowly stepped out of the room. Jessica looked up to her right and could understand why her boyfriend was reluctant to leave. It wasn't necessarily because he was worried about her safety. He knew she would be fine. It was the fact that once he left the room who knows who he would have to sit with, who he would have to speak to or what sort of trouble he might get into. He had expected to spend all his time in Walford with Jessica. She was his form of protection around here.

JESSICA: Everything's going to be okay Sean, honest.

Jessica saved her best reassuring smile for the last, though it was the one she was less certain about. She was just as nervous about letting him out of her sight as he was. Who knows what her family could do to him now they knew the truth. But as she looked down at her Aunt she knew that this was the risk they were going to have to take. Her Aunt still needed her help and support. No matter how much she loved Sean, she couldn't leave Ronnie now. Jessica slowly walked with Sean to the door of the kitchen and took hold of the door handle.

SEAN: I'll be waiting for you.

Jessica nodded and smiled gratefully as he walked out of the room. She quietly shut the door behind him then slowly walked back to the kitchen table, taking the seat directly next to her Auntie Ronnie - who Jessica could now hear was quietly sobbing into her hands - and she just wondered what could possibly be going on in her Aunt's head.

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**Oohhh - what dya think?**

**Next chapter I think will be mostly Ronnie/Jessica based…but I'm not entirely sure yet, I guess I'll wait for feedback and see what people are wanting to read about the most…**

**Comments and feedback keep me going :) Thanks again guys. Soph xxx**


	24. A Big Responsibility

Jessica stared at her Aunt who now sat motionless and was looking at her with soft blue eyes that were still teary. They hadn't said anything for the past two minutes since they had been left alone in the kitchen, but it had been time enough for Ronnie to calm slightly. Her crying had subsided and she clung tightly to a tissue that her niece had kindly handed her. She had been shocked by her own outburst, but her tears had come more out of fear then anything else. She was scared that she had pushed her niece away. But as Ronnie looked into Jessica's caring blue eyes she realised that, if anything, her niece was closer then she ever had been before. She knew better but Ronnie had expected Jessica to have reacted just like Danielle had, by running away, upset by her cold confrontation, but not Jessie. She was still here. Still seated right next to her, with a hand on her bump and the other lolling on the table. It was her presence that moved Ronnie the most. She was still here.

Jessica couldn't take her eyes off her Aunt. So many thoughts were racing around her head as Ronnie's last words rang in her ears like bells - had she _really_ called her Danielle? And why? What was it about her that reminded her Aunt of her late daughter? Jessica hated unanswered questions but worst of all she hated silence so cleared her throat whilst sitting up properly, confident that her Aunt had had some time to calm down and would now be willing to talk. She spoke in a soft and quiet voice:

JESSICA: So…what was all that about?

Ronnie's eyes moved away from her niece's and down to the tissue that was slowly being ripped bit by bit, by her nervous fingers. She couldn't find the right words to describe what she was feeling. To describe how she had been feeling before her outburst.

JESSICA: Why did you call me Danielle? Do you think of me as her?

Ronnie shook her head and looked back up at her niece, panic briefly flickering over her face as she immediately answered:

RONNIE: No. No of course not.

Jessica's concerned frown softened as she saw a defenceless Ronnie looking at her with a desperately frightened look on her face. Why did her Aunt seem so afraid? Was she worried she was going to lose her? Was she worried that she had pushed her away like she had done to Danielle? It were these very questions that calmed Jessica. She didn't like seeing her Aunt looking so distressed, she wanted to be a comfort to her, to make her smile again.

JESSICA: Phew. Cos trying to fill the boots of the great Danielle Elizabeth Jones…

A small look of confusion at Jessica's reaction mixed into Ronnie's worried look as her niece continued:

JESSICA: …well that would be a big responsibility!

A smile grew on Ronnie's face as she watched her niece throw her a cheeky grin and was relieved that their relationship hadn't seemed to have wavered despite the previous outburst. As Ronnie thought back to that moment when she felt as though she had been talking to her daughter instead of her niece, her smile began to drop causing Jessica to panic. Maybe it wasn't the fact that her Aunt didn't like Sean that was a cause for her concern. Maybe it was more that her Aunt was worried that Sean would be taking Jessica away from her - a reaction sometimes found more amongst mother's than Aunts. Jessica leaned forward, took her Auntie Ronnie's hand and looked her in the eyes reassuringly:

JESSICA: You _do_ know I'll always be here for you. I'm not leaving the country or trying to break contact with you. I'll always be here.

Ronnie continued to watch her niece as she continued to speak, the tears welling up in her eyes as Jessica continued to comfort her with suggestions:

JESSICA: All I'm saying is, if you feel like you need to mother someone, need to give the kind of cuddles only a Mum could give, the kind of support only a Mum could give, the kind of love only a Mum could give…well…I wouldn't say no to having a motherly figure in my life.

Ronnie's heart fluttered as she watched her niece reveal her inner wishes then give her a smile. What Jessica had suggested was everything she needed. She _needed_ someone like a daughter to mother, to cuddle, to support, to love.

RONNIE: I'd really like that.

A smile grew on Ronnie's face and Jessica giggled with relief at the reaction, over the moon that she was able to make her broken Aunt smile again.

JESSICA: Good.

Both women smiled, relieved that the bridge of their relationship was sturdier than ever but Jessica couldn't help but want to confront her Aunt's outburst earlier. After all, if Ronnie didn't talk about it then her thoughts would consume her until it would become too much to hold inside. Her voice became soft and low again as she looked at her Aunt, nervous about digging up the past again:

JESSICA: Look, I can understand why you're so protective Auntie Ron, why you've reacted this way to me and everything that's come with me too.

Jessica continued to hold her Aunt's eye contact, desperate to support her Aunt during this grief, but desperate to tell her the truth too.

JESSICA: I know exactly what it's like to not have someone in your life when you know they _should_ be there.

Ronnie knew what she meant. Jessica had never had a mother in her life, though she should've done. Just like Ronnie had never had a daughter in her life, despite giving birth to one, then losing her at the last minute. Ronnie's heart ached as she ran over the thing she thought about day after day. That the only two times she had known her daughter had been when she was in her arms, once when she had been born, once when she had died.

JESSICA: And at this rate I'm going to know what that feels like twice as much...

RONNIE: How do you mean?

Tears began to form in Jessica's eyes as she started to face the facts. As she took a shuddering deep breath Ronnie leaned forward and squeezed her niece's hand, desperate to support her, desperate to find out what was wrong.

JESSICA: Well let's face it, none of the family like Sean. Dad did but I cant imagine he will now. He's so protective of me and after today he'll probably never let me see Sean again!

To see Jessica in such a state made Ronnie's stomach twist. There was so much that Sean had done to her family in the past that meant that she didn't like the man. But it was so clear that her niece was in love with him. And Ronnie's love and compassion for Jessica overruled her hatred for Sean:

RONNIE: Hey, that's not true---

JESSICA: ---it is! Look, I know he's done loads of bad things in the past, but he's changed. Honestly! He's a good person who works hard and is so generous and kind. He really loves me and he's going to be such a great dad!

Ronnie looked down at Jessica's bump and remembered how Sean had been around Amy when he had thought she was his. She had to admit, Sean had done a good job. To be honest, since she had first seen Sean earlier he didn't seem like his old self - all angry, confrontational and defensive. In fact, Ronnie couldn't remember him saying anything at all. It was clear that her family's reaction to the news of her baby's father had meant a lot to Jessica and now Ronnie felt guilty that she had reacted the way she had to the news.

RONNIE: I'm sure he will be Jessie. Look I love you and trust you and if you trust him, then I trust him…

It was like being hit round the face with a boulder to say it, but Ronnie wanted to find the right words that would show Jessica that she had her full support.

RONNIE: …and you're right, he _is_ different. More calmer. And seems much more happier around you then he ever was with your Auntie Rox or your Mum.

Despite a huge crash, yelling voices and a wail belonging to Amy all coming from next door, Jessica looked up at her Auntie Ronnie and her breath became stuck in her throat as the room around her melted, blood rushed into her ears and she repeated the last words:

JESSICA: My…my Mum?!

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**Dun-Dun-Dunnnnn! Hope this was an okay chapter, it was quite difficult to write cos I'm trying to keep the plot a-flowin :) **

**Well what's Jessie gonna do now? Is it confrontation time? Find out in the next chapter :)**

**Comments and reviews really loved and I'll update a-sap xxx**


	25. Perfume

**Just a quick message to say thank you so much to everyone for reviewing these chapters! It means a lot to me - especially as the character of Jessica is completely made up - and encourages me to keep writing! Thank you so so so so much everyone for the amazing support :)**

*** * ***

Sean continued to pace up and down the landing that ran around the upstairs of the Vic. It was the only thing he could think of doing. It was that or have to sit in the living room with Tanya, Max and Drew, or have to look at Amy, the baby he had once known as his, with Roxy and Jack. Sean sighed and sat on the top step of the stairs, hoping that it wouldn't be long now until Jessica would step out of the kitchen, and be back with him. He heard the door of the living room creep open and Max quietly stepped out of the room and slowly walked along the corridor making sure not to hold eye contact with the figure on the stairs. Sean frowned as he watched Max looking through each door down the corridor until finally stepping into the bathroom. What was he doing here? For some reason Sean had been so pre-occupied with the stares and disappointed looks that had come from Jessica's Aunt's and Dad that he had only just realised that Tanya and Max had been here this whole time. Why?

Tanya sat nervously on a sofa staring profoundly at the blank screen of the television, very aware that Drew was standing in the opposite corner of the room staring right at her. Would he notice if she too made an excuse to go to the toilet like Max had just done? She hated sitting in silence and cleared her throat though the words that were about to come out of her mouth faded as she turned and looked at Drew's deep blue eyes. He had noticed her nerves and gave her a lop-sided grin that sent Tanya's heart racing as a rush of heat ran over her body. It had been like the old days, that cheeky grin and the eyes that always made Tanya fall for him each time. That was the reason why she hadn't visited him and Jessica over the years. Because with one look Tanya would always be reunited with her old feelings for Drew. So for the sake of her marriage and the happiness of her other kids, she stayed away. But here they were, in the same room together, not tearing each other to shreds…and _alone_. Tanya smiled and cleared her throat:

TANYA: You…er…you've done a really good job with Jessica.

Drew smiled gratefully and he slowly strutted his way over to the sofa as he spoke:

DREW: Yeah well…I've been lucky. She's been really easy to look after.

As he sat down next to her he could smell her perfume and he continued to smile as he realised it was the same perfume that he had bought her all those years ago, when they had first been dating. He raised his eyebrows at her, leaned his elbow on the back of the sofa near Tanya and her face dropped to a look of confusion:

TANYA: What?

DREW: Your perfume…it smells familiar…

Tanya blushed, embarrassed that he had remembered her scent. She didn't want it to seem so obvious that she had been clinging to one piece of him under the radar of Max, but she had. She had been buying this perfume for twenty years. It had been what had got her through the difficulties she went through after leaving Drew and Jessica, what had got her through her complicated pregnancy with Lauren, what had got her through her rocky marriage. Just this one reassurance that as long as she wore that perfume, a little bit of Drew was still with her. To look after her. To protect her. Her guilt built up inside her as she looked at Drew's rugged face. A face that still had that boyish charm merged in with a responsible man who was nearing forty one. Her voice lowered to a whisper:

TANYA: I'm sorry that I left.

Drew was taken aback. He hadn't expected an apology from Tanya. Ever. He saw her nervous look and tears begin to appear in her eyes and without thinking he took her hand, hoping that this would be comfort enough for her.

DREW: Hey, it's all in the past. We've both grown up. JJ's an adult now and is beginning to start a family of her own. So you don't need to worry.

But that was the thing. Tanya _did_ need to worry. Their daughter was starting a family with a man that she had already been with in more ways than one. As she continued to look into Drew's kind eyes she felt her body slowly moving closer to him fighting her wish to explain before he found out from anyone else:

TANYA: Drew I…I need to tell you something…

Drew's voice lowered to a whisper, hoping that the thing she needed to tell him were the words he needed to hear. Despite such a tough, strong outer layer, he had secretly spent too many years wishing, hoping, praying that she might come back to him and their daughter. This was it..

DREW: Yeah?

TANYA: I---

But before she could say anything the door of the living room crashed open and Max's angry voice bellowed as he yanked Drew up from the sofa and away from his wife by the scruff of his jumper:

MAX: What the hell do you think you're doing with my wife?

He shoved Drew away from him, his face looking like thunder as he glared at his wife's ex. Sean ran into the room:

SEAN: What's going on?

MAX: Your father-in-law was about to have it on with my wife that's what!

Drew lifted his hands innocently trying to calm Max down as Sean walked to stand next to him:

DREW: I swear I didn't Max, we were just talking.

Max scorned at Drew, angry at the mere sight of him. Sean looked from Drew to Tanya then over to Max, still confused by whatever connection the three adults had:

MAX: You and Tanya had your chance at happiness twenty years ago Drew but you screwed that up by not supporting her!

DREW: I never screwed it up! _She_ was the one that left me and Jessie on our own to look after ourselves!

Sean took a double take as he listened to the words that left Drew's mouth. Then in a moment, as he stared at Tanya, he connected up all the information and suddenly felt sick. He looked at the doorway of the living room as Ronnie and a tear-stricken Jessica walked in and he pointed at Tanya in disbelief:

SEAN: She's your _Mum_?!

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**So in Sean's defence he never knew that Tanya was Jessica's Mum…how awkward!**

**So how is Drew going to react? How is Jessica going to react? How is Sean going to react?**

**Tune in for the next chapter which I hope to have up by tomorrow as the last update for a couple of days :) Comments and Reviews really appreciated - Sophie xxx**


	26. The Source of his Heartbreak

TANYA: Well of course I'm her Mum! Why else would I be here?

Sean took a step back from Tanya who had stood up abruptly from the sofa to make herself known to the already heated conversation. Sean's heart was racing as he looked from Jessica to Tanya back to Jessica again and slowly started to shake his head. This was unreal. He felt dizzy and sick. He had to sit down. So he took the seat of an armchair that stood beside him despite being looked at in amazement and confusion by Drew.

Drew was so confused. He looked up at his daughter's shocked face, then to his sister's nervous face beside her, just in time for Jack to step into the room and quietly ask Ronnie if she was okay. Drew then looked at Tanya who was looking furiously at Sean, and Max who was looking furiously, if not a bit worriedly, at her. Drew addressed the whole room but ideally wanted to specifically address Tanya and her unusual behaviour:

DREW: What the hell is going on here?

Tanya looked from Max, round to her right where her daughter, Ronnie and Jack stood looking nervously from Drew to Sean, none of them wanting to be the barer of bad news to Drew or to dob Sean in for Jessica's sake.

TANYA: Well shall I tell him then? After all I've been the source of his heartbreak for such a long time I might as well!

RONNIE: Calm down Tanya.

Her niece was stood so close to her that she could feel her trembling and she wasn't sure if emotion was the cause of this or nerves. Either way Ronnie could tell that Tanya's shouting wasn't helping Jessica in the slightest. She took her niece's hand as Tanya continued to yell:

TANYA: No I will _not _calm down! I've been calm for too long now, acting as though my daughter having a baby with this reckless idiot is a good thing…

She turned and looked at Drew with tears in her eyes, desperate to tell him the truth so he could end this crazy relationship that their daughter had built with Sean.

TANYA: Do you know _why_ I'm so against this relationship?

As Drew shook his head with no idea what her answer would be, Tanya took a deep breath and lowered her voice again:

TANYA: Because he's already slept with me.

All Jessica could see was the back of her mother's head, but with the few images she had compiled of her over the course of the day she could imagine how she looked. But to hear the words come directly from her mother's lips made her stomach twist. It was all too real and as she started to feel dizzy she could feel her hand being squeezed tightly and reassuringly by her Aunt and she snapped back into the room. She watched as her father, taken aback by Tanya's words, turned to Sean who still sat with a look of disbelief on his pale face at he stared at a spot on the sofa in front of him.

DREW: Sean, is this true?

Sean, without taking his eyes off the sofa, slowly nodded. He had a sudden urge to cry. The beginning of the year had supposed to have meant a fresh start and Jessica had helped him through that. He had been completely honest with her from the very beginning so why was he being punished like this?

Drew's blood began to boil as he looked from Sean to Tanya back to Sean again. He wasn't sure who he was more angry at.

Ronnie could sense her niece's nerves. She had to help her…even if it _did_ mean helping him. After all Jessica had invited her to be protective and motherly when she needed to be. Now was her chance:

RONNIE: Drew, before you get too mad, in Sean's defence he wouldn't have known that Jessie was related to Tanya.

Jack took a double take as he heard the words come from his fiancee's mouth. Had she gone mad? She had been dead against Sean from the word go and now she was sticking up for him? He looked from Ronnie over to Jessica and noticed that Ronnie had a firm grip on her niece's hand so he presumed her actions were stemming from the conversation they must have had in the kitchen.

Jessica's heart began to race as she heard her Aunt's words. She was right, none of this was _really_ Sean's fault and if she didn't step in fast, he wouldn't come out unscathed. So she wrenched herself from her Aunt's hand, quickly walked over to her boyfriend and put a protective hand on his shoulder. It was this simple thing that threw a wave of relief over Sean. She was still here for him, despite the horrible facts.

JESSICA: Auntie Ron's right Dad, how _could_ he have known. I mean, it's not like I have any photos of Mum, any memories. If I'd have known she lived in Walford, I might have mentioned it and then he may have known…

SEAN: …and believe me if I _had_ known Drew I would _never_ have pursued a relationship with Jessie. Honest.

Drew took a few minutes to analyze all that had been said. He was disgusted by the irony of it all, but what his sister and daughter had said made sense. Over the months that he had known Sean he had seen a responsible young man, excited and prepared, if not a bit nervous, about the prospect of becoming a Dad for the first time - a perfect candidate to be his daughter's partner for the rest of her life. Drew sighed and a small smile grew on his face again. He understood that Sean hadn't realised and he could imagine that this situation was more awkward for his son-in-law then anybody else. If his daughter was willing to forgive and to continue trusting Sean, then so would he.

DREW: I believe you Sean.

Tanya couldn't believe her ears let alone her eyes. Was Drew being _serious_?! How could he forgive that monster? How could he have taken all of this news so calmly?!

TANYA: Are you kidding?!! Drew have you heard anything I've said?

DREW: Of course I have. But who am I supposed to trust eh Tan? Some woman who has let me down day after day for the past twenty years? Or my daughter who has been by my side, looked out for me and supported me day after day for twenty years?

The frustration was obvious in his voice and Tanya could tell she hadn't won. She exhaled loudly in frustration.

TANYA: I'm just looking out for my daughter's well-being!

This time it was Jessica's turn to become frustrated:

JESSICA: Well that would be a first then! You don't _trust_ my judgement! Parent's are supposed to _trust_ their children! Dad does. Auntie Ron does…

TANYA: Your Auntie Ronnie is _not _your mother!

JESSICA: Well she might as well be! She's doing a darned sight better at it then you are!

Despite a small feeling of humbleness Ronnie suddenly began to feel very awkward. She hadn't said those things about Sean to contradict Tanya as a mother. She just said them to back Jessica up. To support her.

JESSICA: And when this baby comes at least I can be reassured that she would be here for me no matter what. She would love him and cherish him as though he was her own grandchild. Unlike you who would drift in and out of his life at random intervals.. Well you wont even get a chance to do that because you aren't coming anywhere near this baby once he's born.

Drew couldn't help but feel elated by his daughter's outburst. Everything she had said was true. Tanya wouldn't care about this child's life unless it suited her routine. Just like she hadn't cared about Jessica's life. And now Jessica had seemed to have sealed the deal, by refusing her permission to be anywhere near this baby. Drew couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter. This had been her first responsibility as a mother - to protect her child.

Every word that Jessica had said stung Tanya's heart. She was now left empty handed. The hope that she might re-enter her daughter's world was lost and Tanya realised it was her own fault. If she had kept her big mouth shut. If she had just dealt with the facts then she wouldn't be losing her only grandchild. She stood, shocked at her daughter's sharp words, not knowing what to say. Her mother's silence became too much for Jessica and she scorned:

JESSICA: You don't even care enough to fight your corner. To fight for your rights.

TANYA: Jessie…

JESSICA: No! Just leave. I don't want to see you ever again.

Tanya was about to protest but Sean stood up quickly and put a protective arm around Jessica's shoulders. She looked from the stern faces of Drew and Sean, to the angry and upset face of her daughter, over to Max who seemed to have a look as if to say "Come on, lets go home." Tanya turned to her daughter to take her beauty in one last time:

TANYA: Okay. I love you Jessie. Always have. Always will.

She paused to see if there was any reaction, but she could tell that her daughter was too worked up, that she had put her defences up like every great Mitchell could.

TANYA: Goodbye sweetheart.

Tanya caved and without saying anything else, she slowly walked towards the door of the living room, past Ronnie and Jack, and down the stairs of the Vic, completely heartbroken that she had lost her daughter for good.

*** * ***

**There we have it. A bit of reaction. And a bit of a fairytale ending.**

**I'm not entirely sure where to take this story now so I'll see where my imagination takes me :) Comments and feedback really appreciated as always - thanks, Soph xxx**


	27. Only Forty!

Roxy sat, kneeling on the floor of her bedroom in front of her chest of draws, a framed photograph lying in her hands as she heard shouting coming from the room next door. A tear slowly slid down her face as she stared at the photo of her happy self who stood with a seemingly happy Sean on their wedding day. She looked from his dimple grin, across to the protective arm that he had held around her waist. Roxy remembered how happy she had been that day. How happy she thought Sean had been. She sighed and slowly wiped the tear from her cheek as she was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of heavy feet thundering from the living room, across the hall and down the stairs. She slipped the photo tenderly into the bottom draw and quietly closed it away with the intention of not waking her sleeping daughter - not that it made any difference, she thought, as Amy had managed to sleep through the noise that had rattled between the walls of the Queen Vic as family members came to blows. Roxy stood up, perched on the foot of the bed and peered over at her daughter before exhaling loudly and putting her head in her hands as she continued to process all that had just happened.

There was a light tap on the door of the bedroom and despite no response from the occupants in the room, it was gently opened revealing a quiet bubble of conversation that sounded as though it involved her brother and niece in the living room. Roxy looked up to see the blonde figure of her big sister looking at her with concern.

ROXY: So what was that all about?

Ronnie took her sister's words as an invitation to enter and she did so gingerly as Roxy turned away from her gaze. They had known each other long enough not to get offended by a lack of eye contact during any conversation and Ronnie actually saw it as a blessing that her sister was still talking to her, despite the surprise visitor earlier. She closed the door behind her and chose her words carefully as she perched on the spare spot of bed next to her little sister:

RONNIE: Jessie's sent Tanya away.

Roxy looked up at Ronnie with a frown, wanting to know what had lead her niece to this decision:

ROXY: But I thought they'd begun to get on? What's caused…

But she stopped herself asking anymore as she knew the answer. The catalyst of this decision had been Sean. He was always a catalyst in any given situation, though this could've had any conclusion. She looked into Ronnie's eyes, praying that her answer to the next question was one she wanted to hear:

ROXY: Did Jessie find out about Tanya and Sean?

Roxy's heart raced as she saw her sister nod slowly and concernedly:

ROXY: Did _Drew_ find out about Tanya and Sean?

Ronnie nodded again and Roxy suddenly became confused, wondering why only Tanya had been sent away and not Sean. Ronnie's heart was slowly breaking as she realised that what she was about to say was probably not what her sister wanted to hear. She spoke quietly, slowly and carefully knowing that this was the best way to tell her sister any sort of sensitive information:

RONNIE: I told Jessie. But despite the initial shock…well…Sean never knew that Tanya was Jessie's Mum. He's was just as shocked as both Jessie and Drew when he found out. Then Tanya told Drew…

A small smile grew on Roxy's face as she tried to imagine Drew's reaction:

ROXY: Oh I bet _that_ went down well!

Ronnie giggled slightly at her sister's sarcasm:

RONNIE: Definitely! Well then Tanya stepped too far out of line and Jessie basically told her to shove it.

Roxy raised her eyebrows at her sister's blunt explanation and grinned at her niece's responsible action:

ROXY: A Mitchell at heart then.

Ronnie smiled and nodded:

RONNIE: Absolutely.

Both sister's looked away as the conversation came to a dead end. The chatting that had been coming from the living room stopped and footsteps could be heard going downstairs before a light tap came from the bedroom door again.

RONNIE/ROXY: Come in.

They both smiled as their brother stepped into the room, relieved that there was someone else to start a new conversation. Closing the door behind him then sighing Drew walked over to the bed, sat up against the back board and laid his legs out along the mattress as he looked at his two sisters. He grinned at the sight of the two of them, thinking how weird it was for the three of them together again. He looked at their identical questioning faces and laughed slightly.

RONNIE: What?

ROXY: Yeah come on…

Drew crossed his legs like a schoolboy in assembly and leaned towards his sisters:

DREW: I was just thinking, this is a lot like the good old days. Remember? When we'd finish school and always escape up to attic…

A dreamy smile grew on the three adults faces as they reminisced about the simpler days when they were kids. Before all this 'responsibility' notion had been knocked into them.

ROXY: …and look through all the dusty boxes up there…

RONNIE: …and we'd always hope that Dad would never find us…

Suddenly the smiles dropped as other memories from their childhood cropped up. Memories all three of them had pushed back into the murky depths of their brains. Drew looked at the recognisable disappointed looks on his little sister's faces and tried his best to remain true to his duties as their big brother and lift their spirits again:

DREW: And now look at us! All old and worn--

ROXY: Speak for yourself! You may be an old timer now your daughter's starting a family of her own but _I_ am a yummy-mummy I have you know!

Drew raised his eyebrows and laughed at his baby sister's remark:

DREW: Hey, I'm only forty! I'm going to be considered really young to have a grandchild!

Drew's last words rattled in Ronnie's ears as she listened to the truth and thought about Danielle and the abortion. If she had known back then all that she knew now, she would've never encouraged her to go through with it. Instead her daughter would be sat in the kitchen, happily pregnant, with her cousin Jessie who would be equally pregnant. And both girls would be happy. And Ronnie would be happy too. And Drew wouldn't be bragging about how forty was considered quite young to have a grandchild. Because Ronnie would only be thirty-five and have a grandchild. Thirty-five and happy that her life was finally going well. That it was finally making sense. That she had finally found her purpose.

Drew's face fell as he looked over at Ronnie. His little sister. The venerable one. The one who only revealed her inner feelings to people she trusted. Ronnie spoke quietly in a frustrated way, staring intently at neither of her siblings but at a random spot on the wall between the two of them:

RONNIE: Yeah, well out of the three of us at least you can both say you're doing well as parents. Me…I've been the worst parent in the world.

DREW: Ron…

She motioned from her big brother to her little sister, who both wore identically concerned expressions. They watched Ronnie crumble before their very eyes as she frantically confessed the thing that had been swimming around and around in her head for days:

RONNIE: You've both still got your daughters. I've lost mine forever.

As images of Danielle flashed in her memory, tears slowly began to build up in Ronnie's eyes. The memory of believing her Dad's lies in the first place. For believing his lies from then on. The memories of all the moments when she could have seen her daughter for who she really was. The look of fear in her daughter's eyes when she told her she was pregnant. The nervous sound of her daughter's voice as she spoke about her adopted family. The feel of her daughter's clammy hand as they drove to the clinic. The urge to wrench the pills away from her daughter's hands. The feeling of her stomach twisting with guilt as she let her daughter down again and again. The look on her daughter's face as she dismissed her true words and existence. The feeling of her daughter's hands clasped around her arms as she desperately tried to ring home the truth. The moment her heart skipped a beat and her stomach twisted as she inspected the locket. Her feeling of desperation as she ran after her daughter. The sound of her daughter's body hitting the car. The feeling of her daughter's last breath leaving all existence. The ache of her arms as she held her daughter's limp, lifeless body. The sight of her daughters dry blood on the cuff of her jacket as the paramedics took her baby away. The feeling as though something really was missing in her life. The sight of herself after returning to the Vic, having removed all the tearstained makeup from her face and realising just how many of her features her daughter had inherited from her. How she would never see those features in her daughter ever again…

Ronnie snapped out of her daydream as she felt one of her cold hands grasped firmly by her brother's warm hands and her sister's comforting arms wrapping themselves around her neck. No matter what happened, somehow the Mitchell siblings always knew how to comfort each other. Just to know they were there for her, to help her through this difficult time meant the world to Ronnie and she smiled gratefully, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her free hand. Roxy peeled herself from her big sister and took the hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

RONNIE: Thanks you guys. Sorry it's just…

Ronnie sighed and knew her siblings were wanting her to sway from anything that might upset her but she continued:

RONNIE: …seeing Jessie…what she's like…I just…when she was growing up I always imagined that that was what _my_ daughter was like…somewhere out in that big wide world…I just wish that she was still alive so she could have all the opportunities that Jessie has right now…so I could see her experiencing life…having a good time…I would do anything just to see her smile again…

DREW: …You _do_ know that Jessie's got a million responsibilities now though. She wont be having a good time in a few months when she's exhausted after sleepless nights being at the beckoned call of a newborn baby…

Ronnie gave a small grateful smile to her brother who she knew was trying to make her feel better. But no words could heal how she felt. Time was the only healer.

RONNIE: Yeah I know but…I'm just living a 'what if' life.

Ronnie paused as she thought about what she had just said. About what she had _always_ said:

RONNIE: Actually…I guess I've _always_ been living a 'what if' life…

Both Roxy and Drew stared at their sister and couldn't help but feel guilty that they both had something she no longer did. A daughter.

* * *

**I really hope this is okay as an update. So sorry it's been so long but I've had no inspiration recently..**

**Especially as most things Ronnie-related has gone dry on EE…jeeze Joel has turned her prrreeeettyyy boringggg! Though the casting is immense. They cast a Danielle to look a bit like Ronnie then a Joel to look like the rest of Danielle :) genius! Just wish the three of them had had a chance to be on screen together!**

**On a different note - more Rack please Mr Writers :] Christmas-Rack is my favourite!!)**

**I'm trying desperately hard to think of what to do next in my other fic but nothing's come to me yet - sorry 'Revealed' fans!**

**Comments and reviews really appreciated guys :) Thaaaanks, Sophie xxx**


	28. Bimbo

Jessica sat at a small table and looked over at her boyfriend with a bemused smile as she watched him peer over the bar at the Vic waiting for someone to serve them. He peered over at her and gave her a wink with a cheeky grin before turning back to the bar patiently. The past hour had been a bizarre one but both Jessica and Sean had come to the mutual decision that being in this pub in the middle of the afternoon was a safer bet then going back outside:

_Sean: Right I need to pre-warn you__…she__'__s a little wacky…_

_Jessica giggled as she stood hand-in-hand with him at the top of a path that lead to the front door of a little house that stood across the square from The Vic. To any stranger Sean looked confident, but Jessica could sense his nerves. From the small smile that crept into the corner of his mouth, right round to his sweaty grip._

_JESSICA: Who isn__'__t?_

_Sean raised his eyebrows and was about to answer before realising that his girlfriend was being sarcastic. He mirrored her smile and exhaled the nerves out of his body. He knew the states his mother got in. He just hoped beyond all hope that today she would be in a good state and not a bad one. He felt Jessica squeeze his hand reassuringly as she winked at him._

_JESSICA: Come on. No matter what mood she__'__s in, your Mum__'__s gonna be a darn sight better than mine._

_Sean nodded, knowing that she was right. At least, deep down, everything Jean did for him was to the best of her mental ability as a mother. She always did as much as she could for him and his sister Stacey. Now would be no different._

_He leant down and gave his girlfriend a kiss with a smile, then proceeded up the path, with Jessica clinging to his hand in support. Sean could feel his heart jump into his throat as he knocked on the front door and waited for an answer._

_Jessica watched in surprise as she saw the door open to reveal a small middle-aged woman, who wore an over-excitable expression as she recognised the man standing before her._

_JEAN: Oh my…SEAN!_

_And before the young couple knew it, the woman before them had pounced and thrown her arms around Sean__'__s neck in excitement, before stepping back nervously, talking quickly:_

_JEAN: I knew you__'__d come back. Stacey said you never would. Even Mo said you wouldn__'__t. But I knew you would. I knew you__'__d come back Sean. You know, I saw a jumper on the stall the other day and it immediately reminded me of you. It was your favourite colour and---_

_SEAN: ---Mum…_

_Jessica looked from the beaming face of Sean__'__s Mum up to Sean, who wore a bemused smile. She watched as he motioned to his right, where she stood, and Jessica turned back to Jean, who looked at her in confusion. Jessica suddenly began to feel nervous as the woman looked her up and down. What if Jean didn__'__t like her? What if Jean thought she was taking her son from her? Jessica watched as Jean shook her head, as though doing a double-take, then a big smile grew over her face:_

_JEAN: Oh, and who__'__s this??_

_Jessica watched as Jean giggled nervously and leaned towards Sean in a seemingly teasing way as though he was fourteen years old and had brought home a girl for the first time. Jessica couldn__'__t help but giggle as Sean blushed nervously:_

_JEAN: A beautiful young woman I see. __Well__, come on in! I want to know all about you! And hear about what you__'__ve been up to over the past few months Sean…_

_Jessica__'__s stomach twisted at the idea of being interrogated but Sean gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She had nothing to worry about and she knew it, Jean was harmless. The couple followed the woman into the house as Jean rambled about what she had been up to that day._

Jessica watched a short old woman with blonde hair, pace from the back of the pub to stand behind the bar opposite Sean with a look of thunder on her face. She protested at his existence, yelling at him to 'get out of her pub' but Sean stood his ground looking at her in sincerity:

SEAN: Peggy please…

Jessica stood up and walked over to her boyfriend in confusion. She had no idea who the person behind the bar was, but from the sound of her quick accusations and her confrontational nature, Jessica had a sinking feeling that this 'Peggy' was probably a Mitchell. She stood beside her boyfriend and reached a hand out to touch his arm in support and curiosity:

JESSICA: Babe, what's going on?

She watched as the woman behind the bar scorned at her in disbelief and pointed from Sean to Jessica aggressively:

PEGGY: I'm surprised to see your nasty mug around here again after all the trouble you've caused! You and your _bimbo_ can get out right now!

A lump became stuck in Jessica's throat as she heard the allegation. She had never been named a bimbo before. There was something so wrong about being called something despite only having an initial introduction phase of about three seconds. Actually, as far as Jessica could recall, they hadn't even been properly introduced. Despite the original shock, suddenly she began to feel incredibly aggravated by this woman's behaviour. They weren't even being given a chance to explain. Jessica opened her mouth to protest but she was beaten to it. She looked up to see that Sean's face had changed into a stronger, almost aggressive look as he leaned over the bar, his eyes locking with the old woman's behind it:

SEAN: Don't you _dare_ speak to her like that…

Peggy took a fleeting look at the young blonde woman stood by Sean's side but held her ground, unnerved by his retort. She was up for a fight.

PEGGY: I say it as I see it.

Jessica could see Sean begin to tense as he took a deep breath, which she knew was a sign that he was frustrated but was trying hard not to retaliate. She took hold of his hand and looked over at Peggy, pleadingly, as the door of the Vic swung open adding another punter to the mix of people in between the pub's four walls.

JESSICA: Look, if you would just give us a minute to explain I---

PEGGY: _Get out!!_

Jessica could feel her desperation begin to emanate. Anger and frustration bubbled up inside of her as she looked at the furious stare of this 'Peggy woman' who pointed adamantly at the door that would lead them out of the pub. Jessica was a strong, sensible young woman, but the aggressive nature of this woman before her made her feel intimidated. No words or actions would change the old woman's mind and Jessica knew it. She needed some help. Some support. She needed her Auntie Ronnie. The woman who, in a matter of days, had been a support guard against more awkward situations and confrontations than Jessica could have ever imagined. The knowledge that she didn't have her headstrong, sharp, powerful aunt beside her was what made Jessica feel so venerable right now. She and Sean couldn't leave this pub now. She didn't want to, for more fear that she may bump into her Mum or worse, her granddad.

JACK: Is there a problem here?

Jessica's heart skipped a beat in relief as she looked to her left and saw Jack stride over to them from the door of The Vic. Finally someone who could back them up. Who could support them. She felt a renewed sense of confidence and took a deep breath to compose herself again. This fight was not yet over. To her disbelief she watched as Peggy continued her steely composition, pointing at Sean:

PEGGY: Jack, Look…look who it is.

Jack took a long look at Sean and Jessica with a bemused look on his face. Peggy was a sweet woman, but she always managed to find a way of annoying him with her nosey attitude and the way she always preached about 'family values' when, unbeknownst to her, she was trying to kick out her Great Niece. He saw the look of annoyance on Jessica's face and he was more than happy to help the young couple out, for his fiancée's niece's sake more than Sean's. He turned from back to Peggy:

JACK: I know.

Jessica exhaled heavily, her initial shock and frustration melting away as Peggy became confused and flustered as she stuttered:

PEGGY: Well…aren't you gonna do something about it? I've asked them to leave…but they wont…

Jessica stood up straight and a small smile grew on her face as she noticed her Dad and Aunt's walk down the stairs and across the corridor to stand behind Peggy with looks of confusion over their faces. Their presence hadn't gone unnoticed to anyone in the pub except for Peggy who's face became more annoyed by the second as Jack merely shrugged:

JACK: So? What do you want me to do about it?

Peggy's voice grew louder and firmer with every word she spoke:

PEGGY: I want you to get them out of here! Sean and his shallow, tart of a girlfriend can sling their hooks, you hear me?

Jack took a deep breath and leaned on the bar with a grin, enjoying this moment to the fullest:

JACK: Something tells me Ronnie wouldn't be too happy with me if I chucked her own niece out, would she..

Peggy followed his gaze behind her and the colour drained from her face as she saw her eldest niece stood directly behind her, arms folded and eyebrows raised as though waiting for an explanation. Suddenly Peggy began to feel very nervous as she looked from Ronnie's disapproving look, over to Jessica's small grin, and back to Ronnie again. Peggy smiled awkwardly, trying to explain before her niece's inevitable fiery nature sprung into action:

PEGGY: Oh…Ronnie sweetheart…I was just…confused…because of---

RONNIE: ---because of Sean no doubt. Yeah, we were just as surprised.

It was at this point that Peggy realised that stood behind Ronnie was Roxy and…

PEGGY: Andrew?

Drew raised a hand in acknowledgment but didn't return the smile, not being a big believer of lying. Smiling would offer his Aunt comfort that he was happy to see her. But after the way he had seen her treatment of his daughter and son-in-law, Drew wasn't overly thrilled. Peggy looked from her nephew over to her youngest niece who stood beside Drew, looking seemingly awkward as she peered past Peggy at Sean and Jessica.

PEGGY: Right, I need answers…

She didn't choose a victim for this question, it was open to whoever held the answers, but nobody jumped at the chance. Ronnie took the decision to walk around the bar and wedge herself between Jack and Jessica, opening up space between Peggy, Roxy and Drew. To Roxy's despair the baby monitor in her hand cried out to her and Peggy took this opportunity to swoop in with a smile.

PEGGY: Roxy darling, why don't we pop the kettle on and you can fill me in while you're sorting Amy out.

Roxy sighed and rolled her eyes before nodding, letting Peggy lead the way upstairs ready for an in-depth gossip, leaving the rest of the family at the bar. Jessica looked from her boyfriend on her right, to her Dad stood in front of her behind the bar, then over to her left where her Aunt and Jack looked at her. All of a sudden the five adults began to giggle at the irony as Sean, then Jessica, then Jack recalled the event that had just taken place.

JESSICA: All we wanted was a drink and I ended up being called a bimbo instead!

Despite the smiling faces before him, Drew frowned disapprovingly of his Auntie Peggy's outburst. From the looks of things, his daughter's boyfriend brought the worst out of his family. First Roxy, then Peggy. And of course, there was Tanya. Jessica's mother had completely obliterated the situation with accusations, not even willing to accept for a moment that their daughter could be happy with this newly-reformed young man. A small smile grew on Drew's face as he watched his bubbly daughter turn to her boyfriend and give him a quick peck on the lips as Sean placed a protective hand on her belly with a big smile on his face. He looked around the pub, wondering if there was a spare table that they could all sit around. His brown eyes locked with a pair of blue eyes set against a puffy face, that were staring at him from across the room. His heart skipped a beat for a moment as he watched an upset Tanya quickly down the final drop of wine in her glass and get up from the table she was sat at. Drew stood up straight, hoping that she might pass him on her way out so he could have a quick word with her, but with one last fleeting look she disappeared out of the pub.

Jessica looked from her Dad's crestfallen face over to the door of The Vic, which his eyes had been glued to for several moments. She wasn't the only one to notice his behaviour and soon, all four adults were looking from Drew to the door of the pub and back again, wondering who he had seen.

As much as he hated to admit it, Drew knew that Tanya's outburst earlier had only been an act of maternal protection. He knew that she was trying to prevent their daughter from making a mistake - not that he knew what the mistake was. But unfortunately she hadn't handled the situation very well, resulting in her departure. _Another_ departure. Drew sighed and turned back to his daughter, son-in-law, sister and her fiancée, all of whom were looking at him in curiosity.

RONNIE: Who the hell were you just looking at?

Jessica didn't turn to see the inevitable look that without a doubt matched her aunt's teasing voice, instead she remained focused on the tall figure of her father, who shuffled his feet nervously as he cleared his throat.

DREW: No one.

As the conversation halted at Drew's final words, Jessica took a deep breath, annoyed with the unavoidable truth. She knew who her father had seen, because Jessica had seen her too:

_Jessica and Sean stepped back into the cool, air-conditioned pub - a big contrast to the stuffy air that hung outside. She felt her boyfriend__'s hand graze lovingly across her back and she looked up at him mirroring his dreamy smile._

_SEAN: Why don't you take a seat and I'll grab us some drinks?_

_Jessica nodded gratefully, taking the time to inhale his aftershave as he leant over and affectionately kissed her on the forehead. She slowly moved over to a free table and sat down on a seat, exhaling in relief as she took the weight off her feet. She couldn't believe how difficult being pregnant was becoming, especially mobility-wise. As she plonked her small bag on the table and shuffled to get comfortable she looked around the room and was surprised at how many people drank at this time in the afternoon in Walford. There were a couple of men larking about playing darts with competitive looks on their faces, an old woman sat at a table with a newspaper and a glass of what looked like scotch, an old man slouching over the bar on a stool nursing what was probably his fourth or fifth pint, and…_

_Jessica's heart skipped a beat as she looked over at the now-familiar figure of her Mother, across the far side of the room, nursing half a glass of white wine with a disappointed look on her face as she stared down at the liquid before taking a large gulp. Jessica was sharp, and quick to notice things even from a distance. She noted the puffiness around Tanya's eyes and the slightly smudged makeup, a sign that she had been crying. A phone laid on the table near to Tanya's hand and a part of Jessica wished that she was trying to compose a message to her, or build up the courage to call her. To apologise. Jessica rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of her inner-wishes and was quick to bring a hand to her bump, talking to her baby in a joking manner with a small smile on her face:_

_JESSICA: You're making Mummy feel very silly emotions._

_For some reason, despite let-down after let-down, Jessica still wanted to give her Mum a chance to apologise. But that was just it, Jessica knew that realistically, her Mum shouldn't keep doing things that needed an apology afterwards. That anytime Tanya approached her, the conversation would become heated, things would get said without thinking and the relationship would be broken again and again. Jessica wasn't entirely sure if she could keep exposing herself to heartbreak, especially as she had a baby to think about. She looked up sadly and sighed before looking over at Tanya again. Her heart rate increased as her bright blue eyes locked with her mother's. Jessica froze, half hoping her Mum wouldn't walk over to her but curious to know what would happen if she did. She let a small smile twitch onto her face as she saw her mother's chest rise then fall in one foul swoop, a sign that she had sighed heavily, before a small disappointed smile crept onto Tanya's face._

_Jessica was a great believer in time being a healer. But it hadn't been more than a couple of hours since her mother's outburst and Jessica was already beginning to feel compassion for the woman who she had always been told had such a likeness to her visually. The two women stayed motionless, staring at each other as they each recalled in their minds their final meeting together, until a loud shrill voice cut their thoughts like a knife:_

_PEGGY: Well you've got some nerve! GET OUT OF MY PUB!_

Jessica looked over at her Auntie Ron with a smile as she tried to persuade her big brother that it was fine to serve them some drinks even though he didn't work there:

RONNIE: Oh come on Drew, you're a Mitchell! That's all that matters where this pub is concerned!

Drew rolled his eyes in defeat and started to pull a pint as his little sister threw her hands up in the air, victorious that she'd managed to wear him down enough. He watched as Ronnie turned to Jack and gave him a flirty smile before giving him a long kiss. Some of the punters whooped under their breath at the great romantics but Drew still wasn't overly sure about his sister's choice in man. This was the guy that had messed her around one too many times, how was he sure Jack wouldn't do it again? His thoughts stopped at the sound of a large rumble and he looked over at his daughter just in time to see her bring a hand up to her belly in embarrassment.

JESSICA: Sorrrryyyy…

She cringed slightly, embarrassed that this was the way her family had to find out she was hungry but they didn't mind. Instead they laughed loudly:

SEAN: Something tells me it's time for lunch!

* * *

**Woohoo :) an updaaaate! It's taken me SO long to get some inspiration for a new couple of twists, hope this chapter lived up to the wait!**

**Hope you're all okay - so much has happened on EE since my last update!**

**Comments and reviews really appreciated and I should have another update on here pretty soon as I've almost finished writing it :D Yay! Soph xxx**


	29. Just being irrational

As she opened the door of the chippie, Jessica couldn't help but close her eyes in delight as she inhaled the strong aroma of fried chips. She approached the counter eagerly, looking over at the fryers near the back of the shop before catching the eye of a familiar friendly looking woman who, from her name badge, was called Jane. Jessica took a double take, surprised that the woman who had been working at the café she had visited only the previous day, was now working behind the counter at the local chip shop too.

JANE: Hi there…

JESSICA: Hi, can I get three large portions of chips, two cods and two…no, three battered sausages please?

The woman behind the counter raised her eyebrows apologetically:

JANE: It's going to be about ten minutes if that's okay? I've already got one large order in and one of our fryer's is down.

Jane was preparing herself for an uproar like most customers who received this news, but to her surprise the young woman before her merely shrugged with a smile:

JESSICA: No problem, I can wait.

JANE: Okay. Well, feel free to take a seat by the window…

She began to add up the prices on the till before pausing as the young woman interrupted her awkwardly:

JESSICA: Oh…can I also have a pickled onion please?

Jane raised her eyebrows in surprise at the strange request. Often girls of her age and looks wouldn't batter an eyelid at a pickled onion. But the girl quickly motioned to her pregnant belly:

JESSICA: A craving I'm afraid. Not one I'm proud of I must say…

Jane's judgement slipped away and she rang up the total before smiling and plucking out a pickled onion for the pregnant young blonde:

JANE: You're a healthy looking mum-to-be, that's more than enough to be proud of.

Jessica felt herself blushing at the compliment as she gratefully took the pickled onion wrapped in a napkin before motioning to a little ticket that she had just received with an order number on it:

JESSICA: Is it okay if I pay in a couple of minutes?

Jane nodded and looked at the girl in curiosity. She looked familiar, as though she'd seen her several times before now, but where and when she couldn't quite tell:

JANE: Are you new around here? Its just…I hadn't seen you before I served you in the café yesterday…

Jessica smiled as she began sucking on the pickled onion, surprised that a complete stranger was making small talk:

JESSICA: Only visiting. My Aunt's live across the square. Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell?

Jane raised her eyebrows and stepped back slightly, surprised that the young woman who seemed so pleasant and polite was a member of the Mitchell dynasty.

JANE: Oh…

Jessica sensed the woman's nerves and wanted to steer the conversation to an end in the hope that her order would go through quicker:

JESSICA: Yeah…well I'll be leaving tomorrow so…you wont need to worry about me hanging around here for much longer.

Jane flashed a warm smile, embarrassed that she was judging a book by it's cover - or more so, a woman by her name.

JANE: Well if it helps, you're the most grounded Mitchell I've seen yet.

Jessica laughed slightly while watching in relief as Jane turned around and busied herself with the orders, then turned around herself to make her way over to the two seats that Jane had briefly motioned to earlier as a waiting area.

Jessica froze and her heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with the recognisably nervous figure of her mother who was perched on the edge of one of the seats. An immediate reaction to this encounter caused Jessica to hold a protective hand up to her bump, though she knew the action wasn't necessary. For the few seconds that she stood there staring, Jessica's mind flashed back to the last time she had seen her Mum. At the Vic. Her words. '_I love you Jessica. Always have, always will. Goodbye sweetheart'_. Her Mum had had a choice to leave twenty years ago. But a few hours ago she had had no choice. And she had gone anyway, even if she hadn't wanted to. Jessica knew her Mum hadn't wanted to leave her earlier. So with a deep breath, Jessica proceeded over to the free chair and sat beside her mother, staring blankly at Jane who was bustling about behind the counter.

Tanya looked down at the order number that she began folding and unfolding nervously in her hands as she mustered the confidence to speak to her eldest daughter, hoping beyond all hope that she wasn't going to be frozen out, like she knew she deserved. She took a deep breath and slowly looked over at her daughter's blank expression before following her gaze, leaving her to also stare at Jane as she spoke in as calm a voice as she could muster:

TANYA: I'm sorry about what I said earlier.

Jane's ears twitched as she heard Tanya's words. Presuming that her friend was talking to her, she turned around to respond but stopped herself as she saw Tanya looking nervously at the young woman, who was staring at the clock on the wall of the chippie with a resolute expression on her face. Jane proceeded to busy herself as she strained her ears for anymore of the conversation, taking odd glances at the two women here and there, in an attempt to piece together what was going on.

Tanya looked at her daughter in desperation. Part of her hoping, part of her fearing that her daughter would respond. To her surprise, the corners of Jessica's mouth twitched into a small, brief smile before the young blonde turned to look at her with tears in her eyes. Tanya took this action as an opportunity to continue with a deep breath:

TANYA: I was just being-

JESSICA: -Irrational?

TANYA: …I was going for protective…but I guess irrational is a better word.

A small smile appeared on the two women's faces and both breathed a sigh of relief at the broken ice. Jessica still wasn't entirely sure about where they both stood on the path of mother/daughter relationships, but right now they were doing much better than they had done in near enough twenty years of her existence.

Jane watched in surprise as she tried to register what had and was being said:

TANYA: Do you really have to go tomorrow? I mean…could you not stay for an extra couple of days? We could have lunch or go shopping or something…?

Jessica looked away from her mother's hurt expression. For her whole life she had been longing to go out for lunch with her Mum. To have shopping sprees. To go to the cinema to see a chick-flick. To have girly-gossips. Just like her friends had always had with their mother's. And now Tanya was handing that opportunity to her on a plate. But Jessica couldn't be distracted from reality. She had a baby to think about. A boyfriend. A life far from Walford. A life she had only left momentarily to help her Auntie Ronnie. And now that Ronnie had Jack to take care of her, Jessica didn't need to be here anymore.

JESSICA: I need to leave tomorrow…me and Sean, we've still got so much to do before the baby comes along…

TANYA: …But…

JESSICA: …I only really came down here to sort Auntie Ronnie out…

TANYA: …I know, but…

JESSICA: …and I never in a million years expected to stumble across my estranged mother after so many years apart…

TANYA: …well the surprise was mutual but…

Jane stood, mouth wide open as she watched Tanya talking to the young woman with so much compassion, desperation and _love_. From what they had been saying, did this mean that the young pregnant blonde Mitchell was in fact Tanya's estranged daughter?

JESSICA: …what I'm trying to say Mum-

Yep, that confirmed it for Jane, the young pregnant blonde Mitchell _was_ Tanya's daughter. Her mixed feelings now had hurt thrown into them - Jane couldn't understand why Tanya had kept the existence of this girl a secret.

JESSICA: -is I don't regret meeting you…I just wish it hadn't taken this long.

Tanya nodded sadly as she looked back down at the order number that was now scrunched up in her hand. Her daughter had just given her a very tactical rejection. And it tore Tanya up inside. She felt like her whole world had just imploded. The thing that had kept her going day after day over the past twenty years was the thought that one day she would be forgiven by her daughter. Forgiven by Drew. That they could become a part of her life again, or more like she could become a part of their's. Probably not in the same way that they had done before, but even just a tiny slice of their life was enough for Tanya. Now, however, she was left with nothing more than a broken heart. She jumped slightly as she felt her daughter's soft hand rest on hers, and she looked over at the bright blue eyes that mirrored her own. She could tell that this conversation was hurting Jessica just as much as it hurt herself.

The bell above the door of the chippie tinkled and the two women looked up to see the new addition to the building. Tanya's stomach twisted as she watched the tall figure of Drew step through the door with a smile on his face. That excitable look on his face that she adored. Drew stepped into the brilliant smelling takeaway joint with a smile on his face, looking forward to the idea of some food with his family:

DREW: JJ your-

The smile on his face faded as he saw that his daughter was seated hand in hand with her mother, both women looking respectively awkward as he looked at them in surprise.

DREW: -your Auntie Ron was wondering what ice cream you fancied?

Jessica looked over at her mother who sat to her left, her heart tearing at the idea that she would have to leave this perfect moment. A moment, she had a feeling, she would never get again. She stood up reluctantly, pulling down her top slightly before walking over to her father. She could feel Tanya's eyes on her as she held out the order ticket to her father. As Drew took the piece of paper, Jessica glanced at her mother nervously, locking eyes with her for the last time.

JESSICA: Right…well…see you Mum.

Tanya's stomach lurched as her daughter said goodbye. She couldn't be certain, but she almost noticed a tint of sadness in her daughter's voice. Her hand felt empty from the moment Jessica let it go, and she nodded sadly as she watched the young blonde step out of the shop. She wanted to run after her, to pull her into her arms and give her the biggest hug she'd ever given anyone. But she knew that she couldn't. That she'd lost that right the moment she'd walked out on Jessica and Drew all those years ago. Tanya suddenly felt nervous again, the man before her intensifying her nerves by sitting beside her with a sigh, leaning back in the chair with a small smile on his face as she watched him look at her carefully. She watched his soft brown eyes dart across from one feature to another on her face before his eyes started wandering down. In a nervous instant she snapped her fingers, hardly helping the smile that had appeared on her face as he looked back into her eyes with a cheeky grin. His sudden interaction reminded her of the old days, when they'd first started dating. He'd struggled to keep his eyes off her back then and she'd enjoyed his attention, just as much as she was enjoying it now. Tanya's heart skipped a beat as she watched Drew sit up and lean towards her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his as she began to smell his comforting after shave. It wasn't one she recognised and she presumed it was one that he'd become accustomed to over more recent years. Even so, she loved how it smelt, and as she took a deep intake of breath the scent brought a warm tingling sensation across her whole body.

DREW: I was hoping I might bump into you again.

Tanya's heart leapt as his words rippled softly out of his mouth. He was starting to say everything she'd been wanting him to say since she'd first seen him earlier that day. It wasn't as though she didn't love Max, after all she'd spent almost seventeen years with him. Seventeen rocky years. There had been many moments when Max had upset Tanya in one way or another, whether it was by being emotionally distant or having an affair with another woman or using the kids as an excuse to keep their marriage together. She thought back to the times when she would cry herself to sleep knowing full well that everything would've been different, possibly better, had she stayed with Drew. Drew had always been kind, laid back, yet head strong - the Mitchell in him only showing itself every so often. She knew he'd inherited his laid back nature from his mother who had lived with them for the few months leading up to Jessica's birth. 'To make sure you both have a suitable environment for a baby' had been her excuse, but Tanya had always known it was more the case that Glenda had needed a place to stay after finally leaving her manipulative husband. Tanya remembered Drew being all too happy to let his mother in, having always been closer to her than his father and 'wanting to protect her from the force that Archie was' (or so Tanya had heard). Tanya closed her eyes momentarily as Drew brought a hand out and softly curled her fringe behind her ear. Just the feel of his touch made her want to forget the reality they both lived in and she listened intently to each word that he spoke:

DREW: I just wanted to apologise about earlier. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, especially in front of Jessica…it was immature.

As his hand cupped her cheek Tanya slowly shook her head. She couldn't believe that he was apologising for being right. After all he had every right to believe the instincts of their daughter over her own. She'd let him down so many times before, why should it be different now? Because she _was_ different now. She'd had time to think about her life. She'd had time to be let down by Max over and over again. She'd had time to reminisce about a life she could've lead with Drew and Jessica. Her Jessica. Her first born. They could've been so happy. Tanya slowly stirred out of the small argument she was having in her mind, attempting to blink the tears out of her blue eyes, wanting to see more of Drew:

TANYA: Don't. I overreacted. I was the one who was immature. I was always the immature one. I should sit back every once in a while and just listen for once.

She watched in relief as Drew's smile grew and he let out a little laugh. A little laugh that Tanya hadn't heard in so many years. And to know that she had been the one to make him laugh made her heart swoop ever so slightly.

DREW: Maybe…but back in the living room of the pub you were being everything you were meant to be for Jessica.

Tanya cocked her head slightly intrigued causing Drew to bring his hand back, yet the eye contact remained steady as the two parents continued the most civil conversation they'd had in over twenty years.

DREW: You were reacting just like a mother should react. Protectively. And it made me realise that you really are what she's been missing for all these years.

TANYA: She's really needed me?

Tanya watched as Drew nodded slowly. She'd never in a million years expected him to admit that she had been needed in their lives. The hint of disappointment in his eyes made her heart sink and she wished that she could turn back time. Then she would've never left in the first place.

TANYA: It's funny, I've always imagined what it would be like to see her again. I never expected it to be this way…

Drew held his breath as he saw the woman's face before him fade slightly as she confessed her innermost feelings. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper and Drew felt his heart melt with every word:

TANYA: Not a day has gone by in the past twenty years that I haven't thought about her Drew. Not one. And you, well…

Drew couldn't understand the effect she had on him. As though there was a spark as soon as he held her glance. Time had certainly been a healer. All the hurt and anger he had once felt towards this woman had gone. Now he wasn't sure what feelings remained. What he did know, was how much his heart rate had picked up from the moment she'd said his name just a moment ago. No one said his name like she did. No one. She seemed to say it in a beautiful soft tone, spoken with such _affection_ that he almost hoped she still harboured the feelings she had had for him the moment they had first met as teenagers. Her voice lowered as she confessed a secret he was sure he already knew:

TANYA: …You were my first love Drew. How could I ever forget you.

A loud clank was heard as Jane slammed the chip hatch closed before wrapping up several packs of chips, the commotion knocking both Tanya and Drew back to reality, much to both the adult's dismay. Tanya sniffed loudly, as she held back her tears. She was beyond the point of feeling embarrassed by her hidden feelings, and wasn't sure how much her friend had heard. But as she looked back over at Drew, she realised she didn't care. For too long she had kept those words in her head. It was such a relief to finally be able to say them out loud.

TANYA: Jessica said she's leaving tomorrow. Will you be going too?

She half hoped that he might say no. But she knew realistically that wouldn't be the answer. Drew hesitated. He hadn't anticipated how much he'd missed Tanya until now. Somehow, despite after all these years, she still seemed to have this way of making him feel things that he'd never felt for anybody else in his entire life. She'd been his first love and she was his only love, even to this day. If it wasn't for Max and Lauren, he would've hoped that something could be rekindled. But Tanya had her own little family to look out for, it was bad enough she'd ruined her first little family all those years ago, it would be no good her ruining another one twenty years on.

DREW: I've got to. There's nothing for me here other than my loved up little sister, my outrageous other little sister, and a man who's supposed to be my father.

There was a pause in his low voice as he hoped she might fill in the gap. That she might fight for him. To plead with him to stay. But he knew it would never happen. That it could never happen. Even when the look on her face seemed as though she was desperate to utter the words he so badly wanted to hear.

"_Stay for me." _Tanya thought frantically. It took all of her self control to stop herself from saying it out loud. It wasn't fair to emotionally blackmail him into staying, especially as she would never be able to give herself to him 100%. She was married to Max. That had been her choice. It wasn't a perfect marriage, but what marriage was? And any time she felt unhappy, she put it down to karma. Punishment for leaving the best things that had ever happened to her. She pulled a pen from the handbag that rested on her lap and reached out to gently take Drew's hand.

Drew froze, his breath catching in his throat as he watched the blonde beside him wrap her cold hand around his and pull it towards her before writing a number skilfully upside down on his skin so he could easily read it.

TANYA: This is my number. If you ever need to contact me about anything, please just give me a call. Whether it's to do with Jessica…or even if you've just had a bad day…I'd just be really happy to hear your voice.

Drew couldn't help the small smile that crept across his face as he took his hand back and read the mobile number several times over. He was genuinely touched that she was reaching out to him, to offer her company if he needed it. She was one of the only people who knew the real him, the real Drew and his inner feelings, with the exception of their daughter of course. He felt a sense of relief that he now had someone he could relay his inner concerns to, should he have any about his daughter and the pregnancy or life in general. He locked eyes with Tanya once again, the two adults smiling slightly, the time spent together being very much an opportunity for the broken relationship to begin to mend.

JANE: Number 28.

Tanya could sense the disapproving tone of her friend's voice that cut through the silence of the chippie as her number was read out. The tone could've been there for a number of reasons. Jane would've been annoyed with Tanya for not telling her about Jessica, or Jessica's pregnancy, or about Drew. But she might also be annoyed with the way Tanya and Drew were around each other. Tanya reluctantly dragged her eyes away from Drew and stood up abruptly, smoothing down her top and clearing her throat before walking over to the counter where Jane had gathered the order together in three bags. Jane kept her voice low as she hissed towards her friend:

JANE: Do you want to tell me what the _hell_ is going on?

TANYA: Long story.

Jane gave her an almost disappointed look and Tanya knew why. Her interaction with Drew had been perfect to her, just how it used to be back in the day, but she knew how it must've looked from a bystander's point of view. It looked just how it felt, as though Tanya was falling for someone who wasn't her husband. But the truth was Tanya wasn't falling for Drew. She already had a long, long time ago. She hadn't ever managed to lose the feelings, she'd just kept them bottled up for too long. She gave Jane a nervous smile as she heard Drew approaching behind her.

DREW: I'll get this if you want?

TANYA: I've actually already paid…

Tanya took the bags and turned her body towards him, misjudging how close he actually was and accidentally stepped on his toe. They both giggled, apologising equally before silence entered them again. Neither knew what to say. Neither wanted to say goodbye despite knowing that they were unlikely to meet again any time soon. Tanya stared longingly at Drew as he looked at her nervously, his hands stuffed into his pockets like she remembered he always used to do when they were teenagers.

DREW: So I'll speak to you soon.

TANYA: Yeah, I'd really like that.

The two adults continued to stare at each other like nervous teenagers, both stealing glances at each other with big grins on their faces, until the bell above the door of the chippie chimed again adding a new customer into the building. Drew turned to follow Tanya with his gaze as she slowly began to leave, her eyes locking with his for the last time:

TANYA: Take care Drew.

He nodded, unable to find any words that would create a suitable farewell, and with regret, he watched the blonde walk out of the chippie and past the shop window without another look back. He wasn't sure if she was trying to be brave. If it was easier for her to just walk away quickly. To retain the final image she had of him in her mind forever. With a grin and a happy sigh he turned to the woman that worked behind the counter, a woman who now looked at him with her eyebrows raised and an unimpressed expression on her face.

JANE: That'll be £11.75.

* * *

**I'm ashamed that it's taken me over 2 years to update this fic, and I'm so so sorry to those that had kept up with it.**

It's so weird writing chapters dealing with situations that happened so long ago now with some characters that are either no longer in the soap anymore (ie. Ronnie, Archie, Jane) and for characters that have had so many more storylines since June 2010 - which is when this story is actually set..

Remember - this story is set waaaay 'pre-Ronnie-mad-baby-snatching-**downward-**spiral', 'pre-Tanya-meeting-Greg', 'pre-Max-meeting-Vanessa'...basically just try to cast your minds back to a time when it was all a little less dark and crazy, and a bit more light and (dare I say it) happy(?)

I hope those who had originally read the story haven't completely abandoned it, and those who are reading it fresh - welcome :)  
I've now come up with a couple more ideas that will hopefully keep this story spiced. So feedback and comments are warmly received with thanks and I look forward to updating you with the next chapter!

All the best, Sophie x 


	30. Nobbly Bobbly

The warm summer breeze made its way through the open door of the newsagents and fluttered gently through the long blonde hair of Ronnie Mitchell as she approached the chest freezer, the contents of which were what she was after. A small smile was on her face. A smile that, when she thought about it, had been spread on her face for most of the day. Possibly the longest time she'd smiled in years. She'd never really had anything to smile about before but now she was happy and at some sort of peace with her past. She was now engaged to the man she loved, she had wonderful siblings and a fantastic niece, all of whom she loved dearly. For the first time in a long time Ronnie had to admit that the future looked bright. He blue eyes drifted from one ice cream to another as she wondered sadly what flavour ice cream Danielle would've chosen were she still alive. She didn't do it on purpose, thinking of her daughter, it just happened. There'd rarely been a time in her teenage and adult life where she hadn't wondered about her daughter and her daughter's favourite things.

JESSICA: Hey, Dad told me to find you.

Ronnie jumped at the sound of her niece's voice and turned to her with a smile, relieved to be distracted again. She watched as the young blonde before her stepped up to the chest freezer as her eyes opened with excitement at the variety of ice creams and ice lollies available. As the twenty year old reached into the freezer and pulled out an ice lolly, Ronnie's body froze as she stared at the wrapper, remembering the last time she'd had a _Nobbly Bobbly _ice lolly.

_Ronnie took one last glance up at the bright sunshine before reaching a hand out and opening the back door of her home. As she stepped over the threshold and into the kitchen, nibbling at a Nobbly Bobbly ice cream that her boyfriend had bought her on the way home from school, she smelt homemade spaghetti Bolognese. A smell that brought a smile to her face. It was her favourite. It wasn't normal for Ronnie to be happy when she got home from school, after all her home wasn't a happy place. Her father was an authoritative man, who was very easily riled if he felt his family were acting inappropriately. He would get angry in a heartbeat. Sometimes Ronnie got the feeling that even the sight of her got his blood boiling and she could always see his face dropping from the moment his dark eyes met hers. He was unfair to her yet always praising her little sister Roxy. Giving her attention and the sort of affection a father was supposed to give to his children. But Ronnie didn't care, not really. At the end of the day, she always had her mother to fall back on. _

_Her mother seemed to understand her more than anyone in the family, which she couldn't imagine how as her mother barely knew anything about her anymore. She knew nothing of her school friends or about her boyfriend. She just knew the practical things like her favourite foods, or her favourite TV shows (not that her father ever let her watch them. Only if he were out of the house would her mother quickly scurry her into the living room and let her watch the TV she wanted to watch). But that was the reason why Ronnie was in such a good mood, because her father wasn't home, he was away for a couple of days on business, or so he'd said. But Ronnie wasn't stupid, and she knew her mother wasn't either, they both knew he was away with another woman. It happened every so often, and Ronnie had stopped feeling so shocked about it all. According to her mother it had been happening for a long time, and that she stayed with him for them, for the security of a nice house, with nice money and a good school. From the sound of her mother's happy humming, Ronnie realised she wasn't the only one who was relieved that her father was away._

_GLENDA: How was school darling?_

_Ronnie continued to nibble at the ice lolly while her mother stood with her back to the kitchen door, leaning over the stove while stirring the Bolognese that bubbled gently. Her father had only been away for two days and Ronnie could already notice the difference in her mother. She seemed happier, more relaxed. _

_RONNIE: Okay I guess._

_Part of the ice lolly began to run down her hand and Ronnie frowned as she looked at the sugary mixture before licking it off her skin. Suddenly a crash filled the kitchen and Ronnie looked over to where the sound had come from. The blood drained from her face and her heart began to race as she locked eyes with her mother who had dropped a cooking utensil on the floor. There Glenda stood, staring at her with a look of horror and Ronnie followed her mother's gaze down to her own stomach. She gulped as she realised just how large her pregnant belly had become. She hadn't thought about it. She'd been so careful to wear her coat to, from and around school to hide the bump. But today had been the first sunny spring day of the year that on her walk home with her boyfriend, she'd chosen to take the coat off. Before Glenda could say a word, loud footsteps could be heard and a small voice piped up as a 10 year old Roxy appeared at the kitchen door from the living room:_

_ROXY: What was that?_

_Ronnie looked from her little sister who looked at them questioningly in her primary school uniform, over to her mother who remained staring at Ronnie in horror with her mouth open wide. Ronnie was nervous. She knew her mother wouldn't get angry. She never got angry with either of them, it was their father she got angry at. Not that she was ever openly angry with him a lot or for very long. From what Ronnie could hear of their arguments at times from her bedroom, Glenda never yelled at Archie for too long, after a little while everything usually went quiet. Ronnie never mentioned it to her mother, nor would she ever do so._

_ROXY: Mummy?_

_For a fleeting moment Glenda composed herself, clearing her throat slightly before speaking softly, trying to sound strong for her youngest daughter, though her eyes didn't leave her eldest daughter once as she spoke:_

_GLENDA: Mummy just dropped a spoon Rox-pox. That's all. Why don't you go back into the living room? Dinner will be ready soon._

_Ronnie turned back to her little sister who looked up at her questioningly but Ronnie just nodded with a fake reassuring smile, which was enough reassurance for the youngest Mitchell, and the girl skipped back into the living room without another word. Ronnie turned back to her mother who was now looking at her with caution, stepping towards her slowly, her blue eyes seeping into hers as though desperate to read her mind. She heard Glenda exhale before motioning to the chair beside her, which Ronnie quickly took, desperate for her mother to say something. Anything. But Glenda remained silent, taking the seat beside Ronnie, her eyes fixated on her fourteen year old daughter. After what seemed like an age, Glenda cleared her voice, speaking shakily as though not entirely sure what words to use:_

_GLENDA: How…why hadn't you told me sooner?_

_Ronnie paused her thoughts as she watched the tears glistening in her mother's eyes. She knew this moment was never going to be easy, that telling her was going to be possibly the worst part of this whole pregnancy, because Ronnie had been so close to her mother until recently. Like best friend's almost. They'd been close until she found out she was pregnant and felt that by keeping away from her mother, keeping her feelings locked away, meant the whole situation would just blow over. Naïve really, as now she sat beside her mother, in the fifth month of her pregnancy, and Ronnie felt ashamed that she'd kept such a big secret from Glenda for so long._

_RONNIE: I was scared Mum. I…I still am._

_Her voice drifted off causing Glenda to reach out and take her daughter's hand. It was this small action that gave Ronnie a new little lease of hope. She brought her eyes back up to meet her mother's and she watched as tears began to fall down Glenda's cheeks. The woman didn't smile, nor did she yell. Instead she just remained in a silent state as she watched her strong daughter in an unusually venerable position beside her. Glenda let out a large sigh as she shook her head slightly in disbelief:_

_GLENDA: I'll have to tell your father._

_It was hardly the reassuring response she was hoping for, and a wave of fear overcame Ronnie as she watched her mother's face fall further. The one person she feared the most was her father at the best of times, but to have to tell him that she was pregnant was worse. She could only imagine how badly he'd take this news._

_RONNIE: We'll tell him together._

_GLENDA: No!_

_Ronnie was taken aback by her mother's quick response, and the woman's fallen face looked at her in shock and desperation. Ronnie couldn't be sure why it looked that way. Nor could she be sure as to why her mother insisted on telling her father alone._

_GLENDA: No, he'll be angry. I don't want you to be near him while he's angry._

_Ronnie couldn't help the small frown on her face. She'd seen her father angry many times before. In fact she couldn't count the amount of times he'd yelled at her for one reason or another. He didn't like it when she was late home from school, or when she spoke her mind. He didn't like it when her mother defended her instead of siding with him. Ronnie supposed she should be grateful that he never shouted at or in front of Roxy. Poor little Roxy. The innocent in all of this really. She had no idea what their father was really like._

_GLENDA: Your sister is spending the weekend at her little friend Emily's. Perhaps you should go with her? It'll give your Dad and I some time to talk about all of this._

_RONNIE: But-_

_GLENDA: No 'buts' Veronica…._

_Ronnie couldn't think of anything worse than having to spend the weekend at her sister's friend's house. It's not that Emily's parents weren't nice. They were. They were kind, funny, and never fought. Which was unusual for both Ronnie and Roxy, who were used to a frosty atmosphere between their parents, as though they were staying together just for the children. It just wasn't how she'd hoped to be spending the weekend._

_GLENDA: I would send you to your brother's but he's apparently got a few issues of his own that he's dealing with at the moment._

_Ronnie saw a look of disappointment flicker over her mother's face for a moment. She hadn't been the same since Drew had left. Or to be more honest, since Archie had thrown Drew out of the house. She still wasn't sure what had happened there. She had only been 11 when Drew left, and even though her mother tried not to show it, she could tell that Glenda missed her eldest child immensely. Now Drew had a good job as a labourer and a flat of his own just outside of town. Not bad for a man who had been thrown out of home at the age of 16 with no job and no money._

_Three days later and Ronnie slid her key into the front door of her home, straining her ears for the sound of her father before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She wasn't due to return from Emily's for another couple of hours but instead of going to the park like Emily's Mum had planned for them and the two 10 year olds, Ronnie had said that she just felt like going home. But now she was here, the fourteen year old wasn't sure what to do. She could hear movement upstairs, so with one large deep breath, Ronnie started to make her way up the small staircase. As she reached the top she could hear familiar sobbing coming from her parent's bedroom. It wasn't the first time she'd heard her mother crying. Glenda had always made sure she'd never openly cry in front of her children, but Ronnie had heard her so many times from another room. As she approached the bedroom she saw her mother standing over a full suitcase with her back to her. It wasn't an unusual sight. Glenda was forever threatening to pack her bags and leave, to which Archie dared her and she bottled it each time whilst a jeering Archie smirked claiming she'd never be able to leave the children. But this time seemed different. She actually had a whole suitcase in front of her, filled with clothes and odd items. Ronnie began to panic as her mother muttered to herself before pausing and standing upright cautiously._

_RONNIE: Mum? What are you doing?_

_Ronnie heard her mother sniff loudly as she smoothed down her front. This was looking all too frightening. What had happened? Had her father told her mother to leave? Were they all leaving? Were they all getting away from him for good? No more tip-toeing around conversations, no more worrying, no more shouting, no more tears…so much good would come if the three of them left Archie. They could all be happy, without having to worry about his abuse. With all that in mind Ronnie felt a mix of nerves and excitement. As Glenda reached down to zip up the suitcase with a small wince, she spoke softly._

_GLENDA: I've let you down Veronica. I'm so sorry._

_As Glenda turned to face the door, Ronnie was almost sick as she stared in horror at her mother. Glenda's eyes were black and blue, her lip was cut and swollen and the tears that had fallen and were still falling from her blue eyes, led down to her neck where three giant love bites covered one side almost like a mask. Ronnie's heart raced as she watched her mother clasp one side of her ribcage with a hand that had a dark bruise encompassing the wrist as she lifted the suitcase off the bed and onto the floor beside her._

_RONNIE: Dad…did he do this to you?_

_Panic rose into Ronnie's body for the first time in a while, the fragile figure of her mother stood before her as a strong reminder of just how violent her father could be. Glenda slowly walked up to her, dragging the suitcase behind her with a nervous look on her face._

_GLENDA: I told you I didn't want you near him while he was angry. Now you can see why._

_RONNIE: But-_

_As she began to slowly process what her mother was saying let alone what she looked like, Glenda moved closer towards her, holding out a fragile hand and pulling Ronnie's fringe back behind her ear. Ronnie felt frozen to the spot. She almost knew what was happening, but she was yet to want to believe it._

_RONNIE: What happens now? Why do you have that suitcase?_

_GLENDA: I have to leave. Your father…well I cant live this way anymore. _

_Ronnie reached up to take her mother's hand but the slightest touch made Glenda flinch and Ronnie snatched her hand back, mortified that she was in pain. How could her father treat her mother this way? He loved her, didn't he? He must do, after all they had three children. You have to love someone to have children with them right? She stood in shock as Glenda lent down and kissed her daughter gently on her forehead before sniffing one last time, then stepping out of the room and towards the stairs._

_RONNIE: What about us? Me and Roxy? If he can do this to you what makes you think he cant do it to us too?_

_Glenda paused at the top of the stairs, much to Ronnie's relief. She wasn't sure what she would've done if her mother had kept walking. Cried probably. Not that she wasn't close to doing that already. Her Mum was leaving her, was running away and leaving her to deal with a situation that she desperately needed her mother's support for._

_GLENDA: He won't lay a finger on either you or Roxanne. You're just children. He wouldn't abuse you._

_Ronnie felt afraid. Afraid because Glenda was wrong. Her Dad had abused her the previous year, not that she'd told her mother about it before. But maybe if she told her now it'd give her mother a reason to stay. Ronnie found her feet were taking her quickly to the top of the stairs where she wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, making sure she ignored the slight wince Glenda let out as the teenager held her bruised body. Ronnie began to cry as her mother stroked her face gently:_

_GLENDA: I love you so much Veronica. You're my eldest daughter. My rock. My pride and joy. I'm just sorry I failed you as a mother._

_Ronnie continued to sob as her mother spoke her farewell, stroking back her blonde hair before holding her chin and lifting her face up. All of a sudden, behind the bruises and the tear stained skin, Ronnie caught her mother's bright blue eyes:_

_GLENDA: Don't worry darling. You're like me, you'll cope. You'll be okay - I promise._

_Ronnie felt empty as her mother peeled herself from her body and made her way down the staircase making sure she didn't look back. As the front door slammed closed, Ronnie collapsed onto the top step, her body and mind feeling numb as she was plunged into loneliness in the quiet empty house._

JESSICA: Auntie Ron?

Ronnie blinked a couple of times, her heart rate returning to normal as she looked at her niece who wore a look of confusion. She hadn't thought about her mother in such a long time. Why should she? She hadn't seen or heard from her since she left all those years ago. Her mother had been right, Ronnie had been the perfect coper, and she'd spent the rest of her teenage years coping without her mother to care, protect and guide her. She couldn't believe that something as simple as an ice lolly would recall such a painful set of memories.

JESSICA: You going to go with a magnum?

Ronnie threw her original thoughts to the back of her mind, not wanting to think about them ever again, and focused on the here and now, looking over at her niece who now held up a white chocolate magnum. Jessica wore a reassuring smile on her face, as though she knew something was on her aunt's mind and hoped that an ice cream would cure her concern. Ronnie took the packet with a smile and nodded:

RONNIE: My favourite.

Ronnie walked over to the counter while Jessica picked out a few ice pops for the rest of their family and joined her. On hearing a jingling of coins, Ronnie turned in surprise to see Jessica picking out coins with the intention of paying and the woman reached out a hand, covering her niece's handful of coins whilst shaking her head.

RONNIE: I'm getting these ones. It's not very often I get to treat you.

Jessica knew it was pointless arguing over something like money with her aunt, who had plenty of it, or so she imagined considering she owned a thriving club. So as Ronnie turned and began to speak to the large sales assistant behind the counter, Jessica placed all the coins back into her purse. As she snapped it shut, her phone chimed, and she pulled the device out of her back pocket to check the caller ID. With a slight roll of her eyes, Jessica stepped out of the newsagents not wanting her aunt to look over her shoulder and read the message. It was from her Gran.

"_Jessica, where are you darling? Are you ok? Lol Gran xxx" _

Jessica grinned as she read the text. Her Gran was always writing 'lol' at the end of texts to her, no matter how many times she tried to tell her that 'lol' was often misread for 'Laugh Out Loud' not 'Lots of Love', but the older woman had insisted that it didn't matter what was normal and that 'lol' could be their secret thing.

"_Im in Walford. I left U a note on the kitchen table did U C it? Lol xxx"_

Jessica sighed slightly. She knew what her Gran was like, chances were she'd seen it, decided to take no notice of what it said, and insist on speaking to her instead, whether it be by text or call. Now if there was one woman who had been the most consistent throughout her life it had been her Gran. They were actually quite close. Not best friends, but she knew that if she desperately needed to talk to someone who wasn't her Dad, her Gran would always be the next port of call. Her phone chimed again and she went to read the message, impressed at the speed of the response.

"_Walford? But that's miles away! What about your Dad and Sean? Have you heard from them? I'm not sure it's good for you to be so far away in your condition. Lol xxx"_

Jessica shook her head at her Gran's unnecessary fussing. She'd only been gone a couple of days, and she'd only been out of touch with the older woman for three days. Three days longer than usual but still… She continued to smile at the 'lol' and her Gran's insistence on writing texts with full grammar, then proceeded to text a response:

"_I had to come here to do something. Dad and Sean are here too so you don't need to worry about me or them. We'll be back tomorrow =] lol Jessica xxx_

As she pressed the send button a tall shadow blocked the sun from around Jessica's body. The surprise at the person before not moving caused her to look up, and her stomach sank as she did. There, standing in front of her with a sly grin on his face, was her granddad. Her initial reaction was to run back into the newsagents and get her aunt, after all her Auntie Ronnie seemed to have sussed an effective way of talking to him the way he deserved to be talked to. But instead she remained still, looking up at the tall man who had his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets:

ARCHIE: How are you doing sweetheart?

He'd just spent the past couple of minutes watching her from across the road, looking at all her features. She'd been right when she'd mentioned at their first meeting that she looked like her mother, because she looked _just_ like Tanya. From the structure of her face, to her blue eyes, to her broad shoulders and wide hips. Certainly not the body shape of a Mitchell who were generally tall and slim. The hair was of course different, highlighted into a light blonde shade, a shade not too far from how Veronica had hers and from what he'd seen her temperament wasn't alike to Tanya's. This young blonde was definitely a Mitchell in personality. She could be the cool, angry type at the flick of a switch. As he stood before her and looked closer he realised the woman had inherited all of her mother's facial features apart from one. Archie felt uncomfortable, as though a deep feeling of hatred bubbled away below the surface as he realised Jessica had inherited his ex-wife's nose. He hadn't seen Glenda in a long time, and only thought of her when he saw Ronnie, who always reminded him of her not only due to her looks but also because of some facial expressions she gave him, just like Glenda once had. He was glad she'd left. She'd finally left him to live his own life. To sort the children out just the way he wanted instead of having her interfering. The children had always been difficult while Glenda had been around, particularly Ronnie who'd had a tendency to stick to her mother like glue while he was around. Glenda had had what was coming to her. She'd always been a burden to him ever since Ronnie's birth, always complaining that she couldn't keep the house looking spotless when there was a five year old and a newborn to look after, a complaint that increased over the next couple of years until the night Roxanne was conceived. She didn't confront him much after that.

JESSICA: I'm _not_ your sweetheart.

The cool sound of the young woman's voice slammed into his ears and Archie could feel his anger rising slightly. The way she'd said it. Her facial expression when she said it, it was _just_ how Glenda used to say it. Just how Veronica would say it. A tinge of loathing with every word that was forced out with such aggression. He didn't like women who stood up to him in this way. It didn't happen very often, after all he was a force to be reckoned with, but only two women had been brave enough to do it in the past, now it seemed a women of the next generation was going to try her luck. And it was this thought that increased Archie's anger.

RONNIE: Oi! Get away from her!

A wave of relief rushed over Jessica as she heard her Aunt's voice rippling through the air from behind her, and it wasn't long before her body arrived beside her, ready to confront Archie. The man stepped back, holding his hands up slightly apologetically, but this didn't change the expression on Ronnie's face, nor her decision to get Jessica away from Archie as soon as possible.

ARCHIE: I was just saying hello.

RONNIE: Yeah, well now you can say goodbye. Come on Jessie.

Jessica didn't need to be asked twice and dutifully followed her Aunt across the road and towards the Queen Vic, with the intention of passing the Chippie and meeting up with Drew on the way. She wasn't sure about the deep meanings behind the reason why her Aunt hated Archie so much. She imagined Danielle had a huge part to play in it, but she had a sinking feeling there was so much more to it than that. The two women approached the Chippie just as Drew stepped out onto the street with a huge grin on his face.

RONNIE: What's got you in such a good mood?

DREW: Ah that's for me to know, and you to possibly find out…

* * *

**I'm aiming to get a bit more of a back story on the Mitchell siblings now. It may take a handful of chapters but I'll get there :)  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter x **


	31. Visitor For You

Jessica leant against the work surface in the kitchen, waiting patiently for the attention of the woman who stood on the other side of the room with her back to her. She watched as Tanya chopped a jumbo sausage and chips into bite-size pieces as quick as possible, before placing it on a plastic plate with a small fork and carrying it into the living room. Jessica continued to wait with a sigh, automatically bringing a hand up to gently caress her bump as she felt her baby kicking, and she thought back to the moments leading up to the current situation.

_JESSICA: I'll meet you both back at the pub in a minute._

_Jessica found her feet walking away from her Aunt and Father, who had both stopped to see where she was going. But she didn't turn around to give them a reason, instead she made her way through a small gardened area in the square and through some gates out onto the street. Her eyes hadn't left the figure of Max once since she'd seen him a moment ago, walking down the street carrying a toddler whilst a young girl walked beside him chatting away about something. Jessica's brow was furrowed as she tried to work out who the children were. They both had red hair much like Max, but it wasn't enough to just presume that they were his children. Because if they were that would mean they were her mother's children too and surely Tanya would've mentioned if she had more children. Wouldn't she? Jessica picked up her walking pace as Max and the children made their way up some steps that led to a house that she could only presume was their house. It was no good asking the questions herself, she would have to ask him instead. Jessica paused at the bottom of the steps just as the front door of the house closed. She took a deep breath, collecting any nerves she felt and slowly made her way to the door before bringing a shaky hand up to the doorbell. _

_As the door swung open, Jessica's heart raced as the figure of Max stood before her. He wore a surprised expression on his face and he shoved a hand in his pocket whilst shuffling his feet nervously. _

_MAX: Jessica…_

_Jessica realised they hadn't been in the same vicinity since her mother's outburst upstairs in the pub earlier that day, and she felt somewhat bad for Max that she'd been a cause for any uncomfortable conversations that may have arose between himself and his wife since then. She found her eyes wandering over Max's shoulder through to the kitchen where Tanya was stood with her back to the rest of the house, busy sorting out fish and chips for the three children that stood around her, eagerly awaiting the moment when she'd hand them their respective plates. Max followed Jessica's glance and turned back to her, stepping aside:_

_MAX: Come on in._

_Jessica stepped past Max, her heart rate increasing with each slow step she took towards the kitchen. As she approached the door, the three children that had been stood around Tanya, turned to look at her, all surprised to see a stranger in their house. Jessica watched as Tanya held out a plate to her left without looking up, whilst placing chips on another plate to her right:_

_TANYA: There you go Abi…_

_When the girl called Abi failed to take the plate from Tanya, the woman turned to look at the red head, who continued to stare curiously from Jessica's face, down to Jessica's bump, then back again. To the twenty year old's relief, Max came to stand beside her, and spoke in an unsure tone to his wife as she turned to see who everyone was looking at:_

_MAX: Visitor for you Tan._

_Jessica wasn't sure what to do or say. She wasn't used to so many people looking at her at one time. She watched as Tanya raised her eyebrows in surprise, presumably because they'd initially said their farewell in the Chippie earlier. The woman cleared her throat and a small welcoming smile grew on her face as she thrust the two plates of fish and chips at the girls beside her:_

_TANYA: Abi. Lauren. Take your brother into the living room…I'll bring his food through for him._

_Jessica's stomach dropped as she heard her mother's words. So it was true. It wasn't just her and Lauren like she'd once thought, there was Abi and this little boy too. The two girls reluctantly took their plates of food and led their brother out of the kitchen, Lauren looking particularly confused about Jessica's company._

_MAX: I'll leave you both to it._

_Jessica shot Max a grateful smile as he stepped away from the kitchen and she folded her arms above her bump as she moved a little further into the room, before leaning against a work surface while her mother chopped her son's food into manageable pieces._

Tanya leant down and placed the plastic plate in front of her son who's eyes widened in excitement at the food that was rarely on offer in their household. But after the crummy start to the day that Tanya had had, she'd been in no mood to cook dinner, deciding to get the takeaway meal instead. The woman knew her younger daughter's had questions that they wanted to ask, but for now she needed to find out why her eldest daughter was currently standing in her kitchen. So without glancing at the two girls she walked out of the living room, closing the door over as she left. As she stepped back into the kitchen she took a deep breath, walking over to the kettle and flicking it on, before turning to look at her daughter who stood with her hand caressing her bump. Tanya smiled slightly, motioning to Jessica's action:

TANYA: Kicking?

Jessica nodded but her facial expression barely changed to the warm smile Tanya was hoping for. The lack of happiness from her eldest daughter made the woman nervous, and she shuffled her feet as she tried to find the right question to help get to the bottom of Jessica's arrival. But she needn't have worried, as the twenty year old spoke with a tone of disappointment:

JESSICA: Why didn't you tell me you had more kids?

TANYA: It hadn't occurred to me that you didn't know about Abi or Oscar…

Tanya's heart sank as her sentence faded out and Jessica looked at her sadly. She hadn't ever intended on making her daughter upset again. She'd wanted nothing more than to be someone she could trust if that was what Jessica needed. Lauren, Abi and Oscar were an extension of her and she foolishly thought that everyone who knew her knew about them too.

JESSICA: I suppose I shouldn't have presumed you'd finished having children when you were nineteen…

It was this calm response that surprised Tanya the most. She looked over at her daughter unable to help feeling proud of the twenty year old, who took such a wise approach when it came to talking about personal things. It was hardly a Mitchell approach. She hadn't yelled or turned her responses into chilling remarks. In this moment Tanya realised just how well Drew had brought their daughter up, and it got her wondering if Jessica would've been this way had her mother been around throughout her life. Would she and Drew have managed to bring Jessica up just as well had they been a couple and a parental team, or had Tanya's lack of input helped their daughter to become the well rounded human being she was today? It was far too late to ever know the answer to those questions and Tanya looked over at the young blonde curiously, drinking in all of her features. Those bright blue eyes that had always sparkled, even when she was a baby. Tanya thought back to Jessica's seventh birthday, when she'd been caught by one of Drew's neighbours who had stared at her in disbelief, claiming over and over how much Jessica looked like her. At the time she had tried to ignore the remarks, but now she had the chance to look at her properly, at full height, Tanya was taken aback by just how much Jessica resembled her.

Her eyes drifted back down to the bump that her daughter had finished smoothing. She was so lucky to have so much support throughout this pregnancy. Tanya had had no such luck, her mother letting her run away without battering an eyelid that she was soon to become a teenage mother, her beloved father having passed away the previous year. The only solace she could find when she was expecting Jessica was that Drew had insisted on taking care of her. Insisted on taking responsibility for getting her pregnant. She'd moved in with him and he'd taken her to each doctors appointment, he'd decorated the house and made it child-safe. Five months into her pregnancy, Drew's mother had arrived on their doorstep, dishevelled and desperate for a place to stay, to which they'd both obliged. Tanya and Glenda had become close quite quickly in the months leading up to Jessica's birth. Glenda fast became like a mother to the fourteen year old, and insisted on taking care of her whilst Drew was at work. It had been a sad day when Glenda had announced she was leaving the flat to give the couple and their baby "some space to be a family", and Tanya hadn't met anyone who had been more of a mother-figure to her than Glenda had ever since.

LAUREN: What's going on?

Tanya jumped as she heard the voice and looked over to the door of the kitchen as her middle daughter stood looking from Jessica to her and back again. Suddenly she felt nervous. She'd kept such huge secrets from all of her children without ever really meaning to. Jessica now knew the truth about Abi and Oscar through default, but her other daughters were yet to find out about Jessica. With a huge sigh, she realised now was a better time than any, and Tanya plucked up the courage to introduce the brunette to her secret sibling.

TANYA: Lauren, this is Jessica. She's your older sister.

Tanya knew the temperament Lauren had when it came to surprises, especially since she'd turned fifteen not too many months ago, resulting in high mood-swings that often ended in her slamming a door loudly behind her. Tanya waited with baited breath for the young brunette's inevitable reaction and she watched as Lauren turned to her angrily:

LAUREN: What? How?

Tanya shuffled her feet again as she looked over nervously at Jessica, but her eldest daughter, who had given a little wave to her sister as they were introduced, now put her hands behind her back and leaned on them whilst looking at her mother ready to hear her explanation. Tanya cleared her throat, speaking her words softly:

TANYA: Well…when I was fourteen years old I gave birth to Jessica-

Tanya jumped nervously as her sentence was cut short by Lauren, who's face had grown darker. She could tell her daughter was getting upset, as though life was becoming very unfair, and the teenager's voice rose:

LAUREN: -And when were you going to tell me about her Mum? This year? In ten years? Never?

TANYA: Well…I…

She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to say things that might upset Jessica further, but at the same time anything she could possibly say would end up upsetting her other daughter just as much. She couldn't win. To her relief, Jessica piped up, turning to the teenager that stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Lauren had turned to look at her sister, still uncertain by her presence:

JESSICA: Look, if it helps I didn't know about Abi and Oscar until about five minutes ago so-

LAUREN: -But you knew about me?

Jessica hesitated. She was still surprised by the girl's reaction. It wasn't one she'd been expecting. Naturally she hadn't imagined that her step-sister would welcome her with open arms, but a little bit of compassion wouldn't have gone amiss.

JESSICA: Well of course I did. You were at my seventh birthday party. Obviously you were a toddler so you wouldn't have remembered me. But Mum hadn't told me about Abi or Oscar.

Tanya stood watching her daughters. One so dark, with dark hair and dark eyes just like her grandmother. One so fair, with blonde hair and blue eyes like her mother. One a moody, confrontational teenager. One a calm, collected young woman. She'd never dreamed there would ever be a time when they would be together in the same room. She just wished her younger daughter was more benevolent to her eldest daughter, who was being so kind and reasonable about the whole situation.

LAUREN: Don't call her that. You have no right to call her that.

TANYA: Lauren!

LAUREN: What? How can she call you her Mum when you've never been there for her? You're not her Mum! Tanya was about to respond when another person stepped into the kitchen, looking equally concerned and curious about the conversation being held between the three females. Tanya looked sadly at her youngest daughter, who had clearly heard the raucous and left her fish and chips in the living room to find out what the commotion was all about. Abi was the delicate one. The one who let things get to her if she felt they were important enough to shake her emotions, and Tanya had a sinking feeling that this whole situation was going to affect her youngest daughter the most.

ABI: What's going on?

LAUREN: Why don't you ask Mum.

Tanya watched as her three daughters turned to look at her, and her nerves continued to grow. She was now looking from her calm eldest daughter, to her angry middle daughter, over to her quiet youngest daughter. All were very different from each other in one way or another, yet all of them were hers, and it was her duty to be honest with them, to make them as happy as possible. It was just trying to find the right words to say.

TANYA: Abi, this is Jessica. She's your sister. Your eldest sister.

She watched as Abi's face dropped into slight shock as the twelve year old looked over at Jessica, who had given her a warm smile and a little nod. Tanya had to hand it to her eldest daughter, she was taking all these introductions and the time it was taking to explain everything very well. She couldn't begin to imagine how difficult this situation would have been had Jessica reacted like Lauren had. As Abi opened her mouth to ask more questions Tanya let out a sigh and spoke first before anything more could be said:

TANYA: Look, girls I know this is difficult for you to understand. I was fourteen years old when I gave birth to Jessica. Her Dad and I brought her up together in a lovely little flat just outside of Romford…until she was one…and I left them.

ABI: You left?

Tanya nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on her younger daughters, but knowing full well that Jessica was looking directly at her. She couldn't bring herself to look at the twenty year old's sad face again. It was difficult enough for her to talk about her shameful actions from all those years ago, she couldn't bring herself to look at Jessica's reaction too.

TANYA: I was involved in the wrong crowd and realised I wasn't good enough to be a mother, to bring Jessica up the way she should be brought up. Her Dad was a good man. He still is. I knew that she would be okay if I left her with him. So at the time I felt the best thing I could do for her was to leave, and I did.

Tanya paused as she took a deep breath. Retelling the story again brought tears to her eyes involuntarily. She didn't want to seem so venerable in front of her children, nor did she want them to think ill of her. But if she were to be honest with them, to tell them the truth about Jessica and her actions that had taken place all those years ago, she would need to tell them what had happened in the first place. Tanya forced herself to look back over at Jessica who had began rubbing the left hand side of her bump again with a small sympathetic smile on her face. It didn't seem like much, but it was enough for Tanya to feel supported:

TANYA: Of course there hadn't been many times when I hadn't thought about Jessica. Where she was, what she was doing, who she had become… Then two days ago she turned up in Walford, completely out of the blue and, well, here she is.

Jessica couldn't help the smile that grew on her face as her mother gestured towards her proudly. She was relieved Tanya had briefly summarised everything. She wasn't entirely sure if she could've endured another emotional recap of times that had happened so long ago now. It was all in the past. She'd begun to forgive her mother for what had happened and from the looks of things so had her Dad. So now was the time to start looking to the future, to start building a relationship up slowly.

ABI: So…does this mean I'm going to be an Auntie?

Tanya's heart skipped a beat and she looked over at the face of her youngest daughter, who was now looking over at Jessica somewhat excitably. She hadn't really thought that far yet. She figured it was enough for Abi and Lauren to find out that they had another sister, let alone that their sister was to give birth in a few months time. Tanya was relieved that Abi had seen the light in this situation. The young girl was right, on a technicality she was going to become an Auntie, that was if Jessica would allow them to be introduced to her baby's life once it was born.

TANYA: Well Abi I really think that decision is down to-

JESSICA: -Of course you are.

Jessica couldn't help the elation she felt as a huge smile grew on her mother's youngest daughter's face. Abi had practically jumped up and down with excitement.

ABI: Yes! This is going to be so cool.

JESSICA: What do you think Lauren?

The kitchen fell silent as all eyes drew to the young brunette who stood with her arms folded. Her face was still sullen as she looked from Jessica, to her mother, back to Jessica and down to the bump. After a moment's thought a small smile graced Lauren's face and she nodded slightly:

LAUREN: I guess being an Auntie would be pretty cool.

Almost an hour and a half had past and Jessica stepped out of the front door, into the warm summery late afternoon sun. She smiled as she felt the sun on her skin and heard her mother stop behind her. The twenty year old turned on the spot, preparing herself for the final goodbye. Except this time it wouldn't be final. She and Tanya had arranged a date to meet up for lunch in a couple of weeks time. Lunch meant that it was nothing too committing or interfering, but enough to satisfy a building relationship between the mother and daughter. Tanya had a smile on her face as she watched her daughter pausing, not wanting to really leave.

TANYA: Thanks again for coming round. I'm really glad you did.

JESSICA: I'm glad I did too. Your girls, they really are lovely. And Oscar, well he's a little sweetheart.

Jessica watched her mother blush slightly as she complimented her children. The two women paused in the doorway, neither knowing what to say or do. Tanya had apologised to Jessica so much during the day that there wasn't too much more to say between them. Of course there were plenty of memories from her childhood that the daughter needed to share with her mother, but those were memories that could wait for their lunch date the week after next. So with a large sigh, Jessica closed her eyes as Tanya enveloped her in a large hug, a hug that she had secretly craved for her entire life. It was the type of hug that made Jessica never want to let go. But she knew she'd have to, and at the sound of Oscar beginning to cry from the living room, the two women regretfully parted.

TANYA: So you'll give me a little call next week to organise where we're going for lunch?

JESSICA: Yep and you'll let me know if you manage to dig out any of Oscar's old baby clothes.

TANYA: Definitely.

Tanya hesitated, not wanting to let her daughter go. She'd enjoyed her company more than she'd ever imagined she would. Jessica was easy going, sharp witted if the occasion arose, and it was interesting to see just how intrigued Abi was of her. The twelve year old had asked question after question after question until Jessica admitted herself that she was running out of anything to say about herself. Tanya was beginning to feel a little annoyed that she'd shared Jessica between Abi, Lauren and herself. Jessica had come to see her and had ended up having to talk to her children instead. Now she was leaving and Tanya began to realise just how much she would miss seeing her around.

JESSICA: Right, I'll see you in a couple of weeks then. Bye Mum.

TANYA: Bye darling. I love you.

Jessica smiled before turning and making her way down the steps to the road below. She would've returned the words, but she wasn't entirely sure she felt them too. It would be wrong to string her mother along with promise of feelings that she wasn't even sure existed. As Jessica made her way along the square towards the back entrance of the pub she got the strangest feeling she was being watched. Turning on the spot, Jessica locked eyes with a familiar figure who approached her with an air of victory, as though it had been a mission to arrive before her in such a short space of time. The twenty year old's stomach plummeted as her Grandmother stood before her with a large smile on her face, before pulling her Granddaughter into an enormous hug:

GLENDA: Jessica, sweetheart, I'm here.

Jessica pulled away from the hug, the smile on her face hiding her horror at the thought that her Grandmother was here, in Walford, with no clue as to the ghosts of her past who lived here.

JESSICA: But Gran…_why_ are you here?

* * *

**And so begins the turn of Glenda, one of my favourite EE characters, even before she appeared on the show - she just seemed too darn interesting.  
****I didn't overly love what they did with her on TV so I'm likely to make a few changes here and there, but not too drastic, after all I'm always going to have Glynis Barber in my head while I write Glenda :)**

**Thanks so much for the comments, they really have helped encourage me to keep updating!  
Keep 'em coming xx **


	32. The Apple or Nothing

Jessica made her way down the stairs of the Queen Vic, sighing heavily as she did so. She couldn't believe how unreal the past couple of days had been. So many secrets had been revealed. So many family members reunited. But the one family member she hadn't counted on seeing here in Walford was her Grandmother. As Jessica stepped down to the foot of the stairs she pushed her long blonde fringe aside, thinking back on the past several minutes as she made her way through to the front of the pub where she hoped her Dad would be sitting.

_GLENDA: Jessica, sweetheart, I'm here!_

_Jessica peeled herself from her Grandmother's embrace, still startled by her appearance. The woman hadn't noticed her shocked expression, and continued to beam at her as though it was a brilliant surprise._

_JESSICA: But Gran, __why__ are you here?_

_GLENDA: For support of course. You don't think your old Gran would let you come all the way over here to Walford without giving you a bit of support do you?_

_Jessica couldn't help the little groan that slipped from her lips, and she brought a hand up to her head as she attempted to massage the confusion out of her brain. It wasn't unusual for her Grandmother to be a little over protective, nor for her to insist on escorting her places, especially since she'd become pregnant. That was one of the reasons why Jessica hadn't told Glenda she was going out of town for a couple of days, for fear that her Grandmother would insist on coming with her, resulting in an awkward meeting with her Auntie Ronnie. But Jessica supposed she was now fearless, because her one fear was slowly becoming a reality, that her Grandmother had followed her to Walford._

_GLENDA: Now I know you said that you were okay, that you were returning tomorrow, and that you had your Dad and Sean to look after you. But I thought, "well if it's something that Jessica needs Andrew and Sean for then she must need some support" so I thought I'd just boost your support a little more._

_Jessica continued to stare in awe as her Grandmother smiled at her, as though everything she had just said was the best idea in the world. But that was the furthest from any thought the twenty year old had right now. She felt the blood drain from her face as she realised who in Walford would hate to see her Grandmother right now. There was of course her Auntie Ronnie and Auntie Roxy, not to mention her mother. But worst of all was her Granddad. A man who her family loathed for one reason or another. A man who Jessica knew had treated her Grandmother awfully, though she had never been told how._

_JESSICA: Well thanks Gran, but like I said I'm fine. Now you really need to go, I'm sorry._

_It wasn't in her nature to be so abrupt with people, especially family, but it needed to be done and Jessica felt heartbroken as she watched her Grandmother's face fall. She wasn't sure what else she could say to get the woman to leave. It was in her best interest that she did, but Jessica felt her heartstrings tug as Glenda reached out and held the tops of her arms._

_GLENDA: Is everything okay darling?_

_There hadn't been many moments in her life when she'd dismissed her Grandmother's support, but Jessica had everything in Walford sorted. She'd built a new bridge with her estranged mother, as had her Dad by the looks of things. And her Aunt had returned to Jack, which had originally been her sole purpose for coming to Walford in the first place. _

_JESSICA: Everything's fine Gran. Honest. Look we'll be back tomorrow._

_GLENDA: Well can I at least have a cup of tea? I've come all this way it'd be a shame to waste the journey without feeling some benefit for travelling over here._

_Jessica knew it was a tactic to get her to talk, after all it had been a tactic that had been used the whole of her life, and as her Grandmother's bright blue eyes stared into hers Jessica caved, rolling her eyes with a sigh:_

_JESSICA: Okay, one quick cup of tea, but then you have to promise you'll leave._

_GLENDA: Promise._

_A smile grew on the older woman's face and Jessica hadn't seen her Grandmother's face light up like that since she'd told her she was pregnant. Glenda had been so supportive and over the moon at the thought that she was to become a Great Grandmother at such a young age. Jessica knew it'd been a brilliant source of gossip at the Bingo for her, and took pleasure in being the one to impart such happiness onto her Grandmother. Jessica took Glenda's hand and led her through the side entrance to the pub. As they approached the back door the twenty year old hesitated, gently opening the door and sticking her head through first, straining her ears for any sounds of her family. But she couldn't hear any movement from upstairs, only the sounds of the punters in front of her calling out their orders to her Auntie Roxy, who was bustling about from one customer to the next. As the woman walked out of sight of the back door, Jessica quickly swung her Grandmother through the door and proceeded to usher her up the stairs towards the accommodation part of the pub. As they stepped into the kitchen Glenda smiled, impressed with her surroundings:_

_GLENDA: Wow, who would've thought a grubby little pub like this could contain such a quaint little kitchen?_

_Jessica rolled her eyes with a little smile. That was such a typical comment to come from her Grandmother's mouth. Bluntly negative, yet iced with a compliment. The pregnant woman stepped past Glenda, flicking the kettle on before picking out two mugs and placing tea bags in them._

_JESSICA: Why don't you take a seat Gran while I just pop downstairs and grab Dad._

_Jessica watched as her Grandmother's eyes lit up at the mention of Drew. She really did adore her son. Jessica wasn't sure if it was because he was her only son, because he'd taken care of her over the years, or because he was another familiar face in an unfamiliar environment. But either way, bringing her Dad upstairs looked to be the best option in reassuring her Grandmother that it was better if she left Walford, and soon._

_JESSICA: Whatever you do, __please__ don't leave this kitchen._

Don't leave the kitchen. Don't leave the kitchen. Glenda wandered over to the kettle as it continued to boil, desperately trying to ignore her temptation to explore the other rooms of the floor she was on. If it had been anyone else who had told her not to leave the room, she would've ignored them and done what she'd wanted to. But she never disobeyed any of Jessica's orders because she feared making her Granddaughter upset. Who lived here? And how did Jessica know them? It certainly wasn't like her Granddaughter to know anybody who lived in a pub. But maybe that was the thing that the young woman needed to sort?

Glenda reached into a cupboard and pulled out another mug, presuming that her son would want a cup of tea too. Tea was her thing. There weren't many times in the day when she wasn't having or planning on having a cup of tea. There was just something so soothing and relaxing about sitting down, bringing the mug up to your face and closing your eyes while you took a deep intake of breath, letting the steam of the hot liquid spread over your skin. Then that first sip. From the moment the first sip was taken Glenda always felt calm, having a cup of tea had always been a way of life for her, even at a time as far back as her childhood when her mother used to have a cup of tea ready for her as soon as she'd finished school. Her mother had been one for using a good cup of tea as a comfort after any abuse she would regularly receive from Glenda's father. A comfort that had been passed on to Glenda herself, who in later years also sought solace in a good strong cup of tea as her own husband, Archie, persisted his abusive ways towards her. But she was now free of all that and had passed on the traditional saying "A good cup of tea can solve anything" - a saying her mother had passed down to her, that she had passed to her son who had in turn passed it down to his daughter. Her Granddaughter. Who was so bubbly and positive about life that Glenda couldn't help but admire the twenty year old at times. Seeing her happiness reassured Glenda that the decisions she'd made to be around Jessica from such a young age had been good ones. That hopefully her Granddaughter had thrived on the support and interaction they had had during her upbringing. And Glenda wondered if, in a way, she might have been extra supportive and loving towards Jessica to make up for the abandonment she had inflicted on her own daughters.

The woman pulled at several strands of her hair and attempted to tuck them behind her ear but she couldn't keep them there, much to her frustration. She hated her hair when it was between styles, it made her look so scruffy whenever she tried to grow out a bob. Glenda looked down at her hand as she placed a tea bag in the empty mug and her eyes caught a small scar on her index finger. She inspected it closer with a small smile on her face. She had looked at this scar every day for the past twenty three years, each time reminding her of the day she had got it.

_Glenda stood over the sink, her hands gliding over the dirty objects that sat in the warm soapy water. A small tear slid down her cheek as she attempted to compose herself. It was fast approaching exactly two days since her husband, Archie, had thrown their son out of the house. She remembered the fleeting look of fear that wiped over Andrew's face as he stared from the angry look on his father's face over to the two large bags that held all of his possessions outside the front door. She'd never seen her boy look that afraid in years. Not since he were a little boy and had witnessed his father's abuse towards her. But Andrew was now sixteen, a man in Archie's eyes. A man who interfered too much in his parent's marriage. Glenda blamed herself, after all it was nobody's fault but her own. If she'd only complied with Archie, not riled him into a state that forced him to hit her, then Andrew wouldn't have had to impede her husband's actions and her son would still be with her. Probably sitting at the table behind her right now, listening to her as she told him about her day, before he told her his every intentions of taking her and his sisters away from Archie and the big house in Romford. With a small smile Glenda turned hopefully towards the kitchen table to see the empty seats around it. Her heart sank and all of a sudden she felt a searing pain on her index finger. A yelp erupted from her mouth without her realising and she quickly pulled her hand out of the hot soapy water to inspect the damage from a sharp kitchen knife that had been soaking before her. Glenda felt a little queasy as blood began to ooze quickly from the wound, and her heart rate began to increase as she felt herself panicking somewhat. All of a sudden she heard footsteps race up to her and a pair of cool hands wrapped their way around hers, a finger and thumb gripping the wound tightly. For a fleeting moment she wondered if it were Andrew, after all this would've been a natural reaction on his behalf. But as soon as her eyes met a pair of ice blue eyes exactly like her own she knew it wasn't him. Her fear subsided as her eldest daughter, her second born, her Veronica, looked at her in earnest as she spoke calmly to her mother:_

_RONNIE: Don't panic Mum. Come on, lets sit you down._

_Glenda couldn't believe the speed in which her daughter had rushed to her aid. She knew she could always count on Veronica for support. As she sat down at the kitchen table, she listened as her daughter instructed her to grip the wound tightly and raise it above her head. Glenda did so, whilst watching the girl fill a glass with water, then take the seat beside her. She looked at her daughter's fair hair that fell so loosely below the shoulders as her blue eyes fixed on the glass that she held up to her mother's mouth with such precision. Glenda took a sip of the water. From the moment Veronica had been born, people had commented on the similar features the young girl had to her mother. Initially Glenda couldn't see it, and she excused those that mentioned it, placing it all down to the blonde hair and blue eyes. But from the age of four Veronica's face had lost it's baby plumpness and began to form the shape of her mother's. The sharp blue eyes remained, and on Veronica's fifth birthday Glenda stared into the face of her beautiful little girl and watched her thin lips broaden into a wide smile much like her own, as she carried out a large birthday cake. In that moment Glenda saw what everybody had been talking about. And since then, she had taken extra special care in looking after her daughter. For she resembled so much of herself._

_RONNIE: Right, let me have a look._

_Glenda brought her hands down from above her head and held them out towards her daughter. She watched in curiosity as the eleven year old peeled the healthy hand away from the wound. She couldn't believe that her daughter, despite only being eleven, had taken such a strong responsibility in the moments when she needed her. Like now. And to think she had worried that the moment Andrew had been thrown out of the house she would be unsupported. After all, it was her job to protect Veronica from the time bomb that was Archie, not the other way round. The blonde girl covered the wound with her own hand, looking over at her mother apologetically as the woman winced at the strong contact:_

_RONNIE: Oh, sorry. You need to keep the pressure on it for a little longer._

_Glenda continued to watch her daughter, who replaced her mother's left hand back onto the wound on her right. She was relieved that Veronica had completed a First Aid Course at school the previous day, it certainly helped in situations much like this. They both shared a small smile as the whirr of a lawnmower could be sounded from out of the open window through the fresh spring air. Chances were it was from next door. The silent room made Glenda think of her son once again. Her daughter's hadn't spoken much since Andrew had left and she was surprised, having anticipated a question at least from her youngest, Roxanne. But the eight year old hadn't mentioned a thing. To be fair she'd been too caught up in the Cabbage Patch Doll that Archie had immediately gone out to buy her two days earlier. To keep the little one from asking too many questions. To keep his favourite child happy. Her heart dropped when she thought about her husband's interaction with their youngest child. How he treated her so much more favourably and specially than their other two children. Poor Andrew and Veronica had spent most of their childhoods fighting for their father's affection, to no avail. Glenda felt responsible, both children looking much more like her than Archie, and presumably her husband felt the need to punish them for that through forms of neglect._

_RONNIE: I saw Drew today…_

_The words, that had been spoken so quietly, drifted into Glenda's ears and her heart stopped for a moment as she looked over into Veronica's eyes. The girl looked nervous, as though she hadn't really wanted to tell her mother anything. But that was the thing, they had the sort of mother/daughter relationship that meant they shared almost everything with each other. It was their only form of comfort during difficult times. Those difficult times often stemming from Archie. A word almost caught in Glenda's dry mouth as she tried to remain calm, despite her desperation to find out more:_

_GLENDA: Where?_

_She watched as her daughter shrugged slightly. Veronica had always been close to Andrew. He was of course her big brother. He was always looking out for her, picking her up if she ever fell over, helping her with school projects even when he had homework of his own, sharing sweets or food with her if he ever felt she needed it. It was a wonder how the young man had ever turned out so kind and grounded with a father like Archie as a head of the household, and for a moment Glenda couldn't help but feel grateful in a way that her husband had neglected their son. Andrew had never got the chance to pick up his father's awful, cruel, sly nature. Glenda stopped herself from wondering why he hadn't returned to the house, remembering that Archie's final words to their son was if he were to ever return home the man would hurt Glenda and Veronica more than he'd ever hurt anyone before. It was a threat like this that made her so sure Andrew would never return again, and Archie knew it too. So how clever of her son to have tracked down his sister instead. Almost like a way of passing messages between himself and his mother._

_RONNIE: At school. He was at the school gates at lunch time._

_GLENDA: How did he look? What did he say?_

_Glenda tried to catch her breath. She was dying to hear more, to find out how her first born was coping away from home with no hope of returning. She yearned to track him down, to take him back under her wing, to give him a good meal, some nice clean clothes and to give him a reassuring hug. It almost felt as though a part of her was missing._

_RONNIE: He looked okay actually. Said he was staying at a friend's house and that he was going to do a bit of unpaid work with his friend's Dad over the weekend with the hope of getting an apprenticeship on a building site or something…_

_Glenda couldn't believe what her daughter had just said. From the sounds of things her son was actually coping quite well without her. And it was this thought that made Glenda feel quite sad. Maybe her husband had been right all along. Maybe Andrew had been ready to face the big wide world away from home. She watched as Veronica stood up and reached into the cupboard that held a small box of plasters. The girl picked out a large plaster and unwrapped it, holding out her hand for her mother's finger, to which Glenda obliged. As Veronica placed the plaster firmly around the wound, Glenda waited to hear more about her daughter's interaction with Andrew earlier in the day._

_GLENDA: So…where is he staying? Did he give an address?_

_Her voice sounded insistent and she couldn't help it. She was desperate to know where her boy was at. Whether he was in a safe area. Whether he was nearby. He had to be nearby, how else would he have come to be stood outside her daughter's school? But to her dismay her daughter shook her head with an apologetic look as she finished sticking the plaster on her mother's finger. All of a sudden little footsteps could be heard and a little figure appeared at the door of the kitchen._

_ROXY: Mummmyyyyy. I'm hungry._

_Glenda cleared her throat and caught Veronica's eyes as her eldest daughter shot her a little smile. The woman couldn't help mirroring the smile too. It was an ongoing joke between the two of them that Roxanne was always hungry, no matter what time of day it was, no matter how long after a meal, the eight year old was always hungry. Glenda began to get up but her Veronica held her hands up, encouraging her mother to remain seated._

_RONNIE: You need to stay seated for a little longer Mum. Finish that water and I'll sort Roxy out._

_Glenda watched as her youngest scrunched up her nose at her big sister's nickname for her. The little girl stomped her foot and crossed her arms angrily. Over the past few years, Roxanne had become increasingly difficult, refusing to obey her mother, demanding food at all times, then screeching the house down if she didn't get anything because it was too close to lunch or dinner time. In fact, the only time Roxanne ever came close to speaking to Glenda was when Archie wasn't in the house, when she was desperate for something. If he were around, Roxanne would only ever ask him for things, and being his favourite child, she would almost always get it. Fortunately for Glenda, her Veronica had become accustomed to all of this, and had become the 'middle man' between her mother and her little sister, both of whom really didn't know how to handle each other, both of whom Veronica knew exactly how to handle. Roxanne really listened to her big sister. Looked up to her even. Looked to her for protection if ever she needed it. And protection Veronica gave. Glenda looked at her eldest daughter proudly as the eleven year old plucked an apple from the fruit bowl and passed it to her sister who turned her nose up at it in disgust. Glenda could tell Veronica was going to be an incredible woman when she grew up._

_RONNIE: It's the apple or nothing. Come on Roxy, it's too soon before dinner to be having biscuits._

_ROXY: I've told you before __my __name's __not __Roxy__! And I __won't__ eat that apple. I wont. I wont. I __wont__!_

_Glenda knew they were moments away from Roxanne turning blue in the face with anger. It was just how she reacted when she didn't get her own way. If Roxanne had been talking to her, the little girl would've been screeching by now, but there was something about Veronica that kept the eight year old from bubbling over, and Glenda watched as the older sister leant down to her little sister's level and spoke softly._

_RONNIE: Well what if we share it in front of the TV then? We can have a competition to see who can bite the biggest bit out of it._

_Glenda held her breath as Veronica used a popular technique with Roxanne - competition. To her relief a small smile spread on the little girl's face and she nodded eagerly, causing Veronica to cheer dramatically at her sister, before handing the apple over._

_RONNIE: Right, tell you what. Take this, this is your one, and I'll meet you in the living room. I'm just going to get myself one, then we'll start the competition. No starting without me!_

_The little girl giggled as she ran out of the kitchen and Glenda watched as Veronica turned to her and rolled her eyes slightly at the absurdity of Roxanne's strops. It was bound to get worse once she hit teenage years, and it was one moment Glenda dreaded and longed for the most. Once Roxanne became a teenager, it marked only five more years until the girl became an adult, then she, Glenda, would be able to leave Archie. To finally escape the abuse and become her own woman. But it also marked only two years until Veronica would leave the home. And once Veronica left, Glenda would be alone. Nobody to talk to, to care for, to have as a support unit should she need someone's advice. Nobody to take her side in an argument. Because once Veronica left, it meant that it would be her against Archie and Roxanne. And even without Roxanne, Archie always won, in one way or another._

_RONNIE: How does your finger feel now?_

_GLENDA: Much better._

_She shared a smile with her daughter, so grateful that her beautiful Veronica was still by her side, still there when she needed her. She couldn't imagine life without her. She wanted so many things for her eldest girl. For her to become a successful business woman like she dreamed of once. For her to find a man who loved and respected her for being who she was, who never abused her or took charge of her life. For her to grow old, get married, have children and live happily ever after with the man of her dreams. She deserved it all._

_Suddenly the front door opened and the daydreaming stopped. Glenda watched the blood drain from her daughter's face as the same fear and dread spread through both their bodies. Archie had returned home. God only knows how much trouble they would get into once Roxanne revealed how neither of them would give the little girl biscuits when she requested them. If Archie reacted the way he did towards Veronica when she didn't let their youngest daughter get her own way, how would he react if he ever found out that Veronica was now in touch with Andrew? _

Glenda remembered those moments as though they were yesterday. She remembered every detail about her beautiful eldest daughter. The daughter who resembled her in so many ways. Neither could have imagined that in years to come they would no longer speak to or see each other. It had been hard to imagine that, when at the time they'd rarely been apart, finding solace in the fact that they both had someone for support during difficult days. Glenda smiled to herself as she remembered the reassuring look on her little girl's face. Not a day since she'd left her had she stopped wondering about how her Veronica was, and the scar was forever a reminder of her daughter.

The kettle clicked off and Glenda reached out, taking the kettle in her hand before gently pouring the boiling liquid into the three mugs. Her son and Granddaughter were just like her, unable to stand a milky weak tea, so she left the teabags in the mugs for a moment while she looked for a splash of milk. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure at the door and all of a sudden she froze. Her heart stopped, the air catching in her lungs as her stomach dropped and the blood drained from her face. She stared in disbelief at her ex-husband, who stared right back at her, a look of menace on his face mixed with a hint confusion at her very existence:

ARCHIE: Hello Glenda.

* * *

**So believe it or not, this is a chapter I'd always planned on doing ever since I started this story 3 years ago...very much pre-Glenda on the TV, but it's been so helpful to have videos and images of Glynis Barber as Glenda as inspiration while writing this chapter :)  
(Love that woman, an inspired actress to be cast as Ronnie's mother thanks to their similarities in appearences)**

**Dont know about you lot, but I wanted Glenda to be so much more than she was when she appeared on the show.  
Maybe now's my opportunity for it to become a reality? ;)**

Thanks for the feedback, totally keeps me on track with the updating. Hope you're all ok x  



	33. Explainations

Glenda felt the blood begin to rush in her ears as the room around her seemed to blur into the back of her vision. All her eyes were now fixated on was the tall slim figure of Archie, the man she had intentionally avoided over the past twenty years, stood before her in the doorway of the kitchen. Age had complimented his features, his hair had turned grey and snowy and was still cut in the same fashion it had always been for as long as Glenda could remember. Wrinkles had formed around his eyes but didn't interfere with the good looks that had drawn her to him in the first place, all those years ago. But despite his attractiveness, Glenda still feared him. Even though years had passed, she could still remember the way he'd treated her. His snide comments, his domineering presence, and especially the power of his right hand that had caught her off guard all too much back in the day. But what could she possibly fear now? After all she was no longer living with him, she was no longer his wife, there was no reason for him to abuse her because she was no longer his to abuse. So with a deep shaky breath she stood upright, clearing her throat slightly, trying to keep an ounce of strength in her voice:

GLENDA: Archie. What are you doing here?

She could tell from the look on her ex-husband's face that he hadn't been expecting a response like that and it gave her hope that this was possibly going to become the first time they had spoken civilly towards each other, both on equal ground, since their wedding day over thirty eight years ago. Glenda pushed away any hesitation as Archie slowly stepped into the kitchen and a few steps towards her, his face still a picture of confusion:

ARCHIE: I live round here. The question is Glenda, what are you doing here?

Glenda shivered as he spoke her name. He still used a low growl, as though he despised her very existence and as he stood a matter of metres before her, she paused. The reason why she was here was for their Granddaughter. To help her with whatever she needed help with. But was he the reason Jessica was here? Had she been curious to know who her Grandfather was? Glenda's stomach dropped. She was almost certain her son would never have let his daughter come here to see him, not with all the memories Andrew had of Archie. So why else would she be here? She couldn't tell the man before her the true reason behind her sudden appearance, but as she tried to concoct a reasonable excuse, her fears were realised:

ARCHIE: Jessica huh? Is that why you're here? Could never stay away from our son for long when he was young and it looks like you're much the same towards her too…

Glenda felt light headed as the man stepped up to her, his dark menacing eyes baring into hers. She could feel her body trembling as she felt his breath on her face, neck and chest. His voice lowered to a hush as he brought his right hand out and gently caressed her cheek but she flinched at his touch, a natural reaction for the woman who had undergone such threatening and bodily abuse by this man in the past.

ARCHIE: You must be so proud. She's bright, beautiful and full of life. Long blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, a spirited personality. Reminds me of how our Veronica used to be before you left…

GLENDA: Don't you _dare_ bring Veronica into this.

It was an impulsive moment of protection on Glenda's behalf. She had regretted leaving her daughter the moment she had stepped foot out of the house. There had been plenty of times when she had been tempted to go back to the house and whisk Veronica away too. But the man that was stood before her had been the reason she had never gone back. If Veronica would've been spotted with her they would've both been dead by the hands of Archie, and that was a risk she just couldn't have ever taken. Her daughter deserved to live.

Archie flinched as his ex-wife spat the words out in a threatening manner. He could tell she was riled, and he'd missed the power he seemed to possess over her. Nobody hesitated like she did. Nobody quivered like she did when he approached her. And despite this apparent form of strength, as he looked into her blue eyes, he could tell she was petrified. He couldn't believe just how well she had aged. A slight wrinkle here and there but her figure had remained slender like it always had been. Words couldn't describe what he wanted to do to her right now if he had the time. But he knew all too well that it wouldn't be long before someone would enter the upper floor of the pub. His blood boiled as her icy blue eyes bore into his and the defensive look on her face scowled at him, almost enticing him to react. And react he did. Her sharp words snapped him into a furious rage and he very quickly took the woman by the throat, squeezing much gentler than he'd done in the past. He just wanted to frighten her, to lure her into his web of abuse which spun much further than any outsider could've ever imagined. He smiled as her face fell. She wasn't so defensive anymore and it gave him pleasure to know that he still had a strong affect on her in one way or another. Lies were what had made him great. He had fed a long thread of lies to his daughters, telling them that their mother had moved to Australia. He'd sent them fake letters from her to them, and given them a fake address for them to write to. To his joy Roxanne had refused to write to the woman who had abandoned them, but Veronica had insisted on writing a letter to her mother every Saturday from the moment the woman had left. Her disappointment at a lack in response had fuelled his addiction to weaving the lies. Looking at his ex-wife now, he could see that their eldest daughter pulled at her heart-strings. There had always been a bond between the two of them when Veronica had been young. It was never too late for another lie. He lowered his head towards his ex-wife's whimpering face, and growled aggressively at her with a whisper:

ARCHIE: What makes you think that _she's_ still alive?

The lie worked wonders on the woman's expression, and Archie smiled as he felt Glenda's knee's begin to weaken and he let go of her throat. He'd always hated how much Glenda had depended on her children. If it hadn't been Andrew then it had been Veronica. From the moment Veronica had been born Glenda had clung to the girl, never going anywhere without her by her side. And it only got worse when Archie began taking his frustration out on the woman, because his ex-wife then refused to ever leave Andrew or Veronica alone with him again. Why had she never understood that he'd never lay a finger on his own children? After all they were just children, but she was an adult. She should've known better. She was a grown woman. A wife. And the way she'd spoken to him had never been the way a wife should've spoken to her husband. So he'd forced her back into place at times, only laying a finger on her if it were the final option and it usually was.

GLENDA: She…she's dead?

Glenda felt the wind knocked out of her lungs as the words fell out of her mouth in a confused whisper. She couldn't breath. How could she when the only thing that had kept her living over the years was the thought that her daughter was alive, safe and well? For the past twenty years she had imagined the type of woman Veronica had become. Tall and slim much like herself. Her beautiful long blonde hair in immaculate condition, and her sharp blue eyes as bright as they always had been. Glenda had hoped, prayed that one day she might find her eldest daughter. That they could've had lunch together and comforted each other, relieved to have been reunited once again, relieved to have escaped the abusive family life they had once been imprisoned in. But now that vision had been demolished and she looked up into Archie's face as he smiled as though he didn't care that their eldest daughter was no longer with them.

ARCHIE: She ran away from home when she was fifteen. Before I knew it I had the police on the doorstep, telling me she'd delved into drugs and taken an accidental overdose.

Glenda felt an unusual feeling of anger building up from inside her body as she watched the smirk on his face grow. He didn't care at all. Veronica had become his responsibility when Glenda had left. He'd been the girl's father. It'd been his job to protect her. But instead he'd let her leave. He'd let her get involved in the wrong crowd. To dabble in drugs with people who were likely to have been years older than her. The thought of what those people might have done to her little girl made Glenda sick to the stomach and she clenched her fists as Archie continued to speak.

ARCHIE: You see sweetheart, if you hadn't left, Veronica wouldn't have left. She wouldn't have died. At the end of the day, it's all your fault.

Glenda flung a hand up and slapped her ex-husband square across the face. She'd been unable to defend her daughter's honour back then, but she was sure going to give it a go now. He was right, it was her fault. If she hadn't left, she could've saved her Veronica. She could've taken the blows, she would've protected her daughter, she would've supported her daughter through her pregnancy. Glenda hesitated as her mind continued to whirr. What had happened to her daughter's baby? To her Grandchild? Had Archie hurt Veronica so much that the baby had died before birth? Had he taken it from her and put it up for adoption? Either way he must have done something, because Veronica would've never left her baby alone and left, she _knew_ she wouldn't. Glenda froze. No amount of physical pain he further aimed at her body could ever be worse than the pain she felt knowing that her beloved daughter was no longer alive. She felt numb. Hollow. And she scrunched her face up slightly as she watched the right hand of her ex-husband rise behind his head, then swiftly make it's way towards her face. But the imminent blow to her jaw never came, and Glenda's breath caught in her lungs as she heard a scuffle come from in front of her. She opened her eyes to see her son wrestling his father away from his mother, much like he had done moments before he'd been thrown out of the family home as a sixteen year old. The only difference was the location, that Andrew was clearly winning as he was stronger than his father now, and that Jessica was stood at the door of the kitchen with a look of horror plastered over her face at the commotion happening before her.

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**Sorry its a super short chapter, just needed to get it out of my system before I continued :)  
Will update again soon x **


	34. We've Got a Problem

With a violent slam, Drew shut the back gate of The Queen Vic pub, leaning against the wood with his hand and taking a few more breaths. He was furious with his father, furious with himself, and as he took a couple of moments to compose himself he began to feel a sense of pity for his mother. It was as though he'd entered into the past, except this time things had ended in a much better way. God knows what would've happened had he not got to the kitchen in time.

_Drew took another mouthful of chips, savouring every bite. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had chips from the chip shop. He wasn't one for buying takeout food, he usually cooked dinner at home as it was more economical. Or if it happened to be Friday night then his mother would come round and cook dinner for them. Drew looked over at his younger sister who sat beside Jack, giggling slightly and batting her fiancé's hand away as the man attempted to steal one of the chips from her plate. He hadn't seen her look so relaxed in a long, long time. Perhaps since they were children, but he couldn't be sure. Either way Drew found comfort in the thought that Ronnie was finally happy, she deserved to be after the harrowing childhood she'd gone through. After the harrowing childhood they'd both gone through._

_Drew looked past his younger sister, over to their youngest sister, who stood behind the bar chatting to a punter with a flirtatious smile, presumably attempting to get the man to buy another drink. She'd always had an easy life, a sheltered one, safe under the wing of their father, and Drew almost felt jealous of her for that. He'd always tried not to resent his baby sister, after all it hadn't been her fault that she'd been their father's favourite. But her attitude towards life made him angry. The way she'd always get in a huff if things didn't go her way, right up until she was in her mid-twenties. Drew remembered the numerous amount of times he'd said no to Roxy's suggestions of Jessica going over to Ibiza to stay with her and Ronnie. There'd even been a moment when Roxy had stopped talking to him for a few weeks because she was so annoyed that he'd put his foot down and said no. He had to admit though, it looked like motherhood had calmed her down somewhat. She didn't seem so needy, as though she'd accepted the responsibility she had for another little human now._

_Drew's attention drifted to the door that separated the front of the pub to the back of the pub and on to the stairs that would lead to the upper floor of the building. He watched as his daughter stepped into the front of the pub, her face pale, her usually bright expression now one of dubiousness as she slowly walked towards him, her bright blue eyes fixed deftly on his:_

_JESSICA: Dad, can I have a quick word with you?_

_Her voice was quiet, as though she didn't want to cause alarm amongst the group of adults, but with enough determination that Drew could sense the urgency. Unfortunately for his daughter, so could her Aunt, and he watched as Ronnie turned towards her niece with a look of concern before bringing a hand up to take Jessica's hand:_

_RONNIE: Is everything okay? Is it Tanya?_

_Drew froze for a moment as Tanya's name was mentioned. Was it Tanya? Had the woman said something so awful to their daughter that the young woman had cause for concern. And if that was the case why did she want a word with him? Was she passing on a message to him from Tanya? He watched as his daughter pulled her hand away from her Aunt nervously, not holding the woman's eye contact, but looking down at Ronnie's plate of food to show that she was still talking to her._

_JESSICA: No, everything's fine. It's nothing to worry began to feel nervous. Why was his daughter acting awkwardly all of a sudden? She'd been so warm towards her aunt previously, but now she refused to look the woman in the eye. As Jessica attempted to give Ronnie a reassuring smile to back up her answer, she looked back over to her Dad and motioned towards the back area of the pub that conveniently resumed out of sight from the table that they all currently resided at:_

_JESSICA: Dad?_

_Drew stood up, clearing his throat slightly as he looked over at Ronnie. His sister stood, her brow furrowed slightly as Jessica began to make her way out of the main part of the pub. He could almost hear the cogs whirring in the woman's head but he trusted that she wouldn't follow them to eavesdrop on the conversation. He hoped that she would be patient enough to wait for Jessica to tell her what was going on if Jessica felt comfortable doing so. Drew left the table and walked past the bar that Roxy was still leaning on, giggling whilst a punter retold what sounded like a very boring story. He stepped out to the back of the pub, looking over his shoulder to check that nobody had followed him, but he saw that Ronnie had turned back to Jack and Sean to speak to them. Drew walked over to the foot of the stairs where his daughter stood with her arms folded, shuffling her feet nervously. He looked at her questioningly and she didn't indulge in keeping him in suspense for long:_

_JESSICA: We've got a problem. Gran's here._

_DREW: Here? What do you mean here?_

_Drew took an instinctive step back as he hissed the question quietly to his daughter, knowing full well his sisters wouldn't be able to hear him anyway, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take._

_JESSICA: I mean she's here. Upstairs._

_All of a sudden Drew felt his blood go cold. His mind whirred at the thought of what would happen should either of his sisters lay eyes their mother after so many years. Roxy would naturally be a ball of anger, more than likely to yell at their mother for leaving all those years ago, but Ronnie… Well Ronnie would likely die on the spot, the shock of the sight of their mother stopping her heart forever. He couldn't take the risk, not after all of the surprises they'd endured that day already. Drew took to the stairs, only making it halfway up before he felt his arm being tugged back and he stopped as his daughter hissed back at him:_

_JESSICA: Dad! What are you going to do?_

_It was a good question. One that Drew didn't even know the answer to as he hadn't even thought that far ahead. No doubt his mother had the kettle on, getting ready to prepare herself and her granddaughter a cup of tea, but he just had to get her out of the building and as far away from Walford as possible. Whilst the thought of his sisters finding her filled him with worry, no feelings could compare with the dread he felt with the thought of what would happen should his father ever find his mother. Even after twenty three years the memories he had of Archie attacking Glenda remained immortalised in his mind forever. He still had flashbacks of the moment he'd thrown his father to the side, knocking him out before picking his mother up and taking her down to the kitchen. That initial feeling of power that he finally felt he had over the abusive figure that had been the great Archibald Mitchell had been a revealing feeling, a power that he soon realised his father had become aware of too. Within hours he was thrown out onto the street and into the reality of real life without any money, without a roof over his head, and without any family to support him emotionally or financially. Drew remembered the days and nights following that fateful day, worrying non-stop about what his father might be doing to his mother, and sister Ronnie. _

_Drew snapped out of his thoughts as a loud slap was heard from a room upstairs, a noise that made him jump slightly. With nothing but a racing heartbeat, and a rush of instinct the man dashed up the remaining stairs, pounding through the closest door to him hoping beyond all hope that he was choosing the right door. He was correct. Without taking even the most fleeting of moments absorb the scene, Drew dived on his father, taking hold of the man's raised arm and the scruff of his shirt and pulling him away from his mother. His heart continued to race, the fear and desperation he felt deep down channelling the aggressive nature he felt towards his father. He ignored the yelps coming from the man in his grasp, not caring if the old man felt uncomfortable, the more uncomfortable the better. Drew didn't pause to hear any explanations, the look on his mother's face was enough as the woman leant back onto the work surface staring at the commotion in horror, but with an expression that almost showed that her mind was on something else. Something much worse. It was this expression that made Drew's frustration and anger with his father rise. What had the lying, conniving man said to her now? _

_Wishing for no more time spent upstairs, Drew dragged his father past his daughter, out of the room and down the stairs. He was pleased to see that after twenty three years he was finally taller, stronger and sturdier than his father. This gave him much better odds and he could tell by the look on the pitiful man's face that Archie knew it too. As they reached the bottom of the stairs Drew dragged the impostor to the back door, hauling him out of the building, refusing to pause in motion despite getting the sinking feeling that out of the corner of his eye he'd seen Ronnie standing at the door that separated the front and back of the pub. Now wasn't the time to be explaining things to her. She'd have to wait until he returned. Drew finally released his father's arm and opened the back gate of the pub's premises before shoving the old man as far out of the gate and as far away from him as possible._

_DREW: I never want to see you anywhere near Mum, Jessica, Ronnie, or me ever again! If you step foot within a metre of any of us, I swear it'll be the last thing you do._

_Drew watched as his father attempted to straighten his shirt, the past minute being a complete shock to the old man. But Drew didn't care, he felt his father deserved every last ounce of mistreatment that he dared to dole out. It wasn't in his nature to be aggressive, but there was something about Archie that flipped a switch in Drew, turning him from cool, calm and collected to angry, aggressive, and physical. To the younger man's surprise, Archie simply straightened his figure and smirked in his sinister way:_

_ARCHIE: You'll never learn will you Andrew. Nobody threatens me and gets away with it._

_Drew couldn't help his heart rate increasing again. He knew how violent his father could get, that he was one for picking people off one by one if needs be. But despite his feeling of dread, Drew kept his steely, cold expression. The kind of expression that had made the Mitchell's a family to fear. With the anger bubbling away beneath the surface, Drew took a deep breath and took hold of the door of the gate:_

_DREW: Goodbye Dad._

_And with a violent slam, Drew shut his father out of the premises of The Queen Vic pub, leaning against the wood with his hand and taking a few more breaths. _

His heart was now racing, the testosterone and frustration taking its toil on his body. He looked down at his feet, scuffing some dirt around with the tip of his shoes as he ran his free hand through his hair. How much of this was he going to tell his family? Could he tell any of them about his father's threat? After all it included all of them except Roxy, the one person who he knew was safe from Archie. The man would never lay a finger on his favourite child. Drew stepped away from the gate and towards the back door of the pub, his thoughts returning to his mother and what sort of state the woman might be in now. He remembered the expression on her face as he'd dragged Archie out of the kitchen. What had the man told her to make her go so pale, for the tears to have appeared in her eyes, for her face to have fallen the way it had? It had been a different sort of fear she felt, he could tell.

Drew stepped back into the building, closing the door quietly behind him, turning to check that his little sister hadn't heard the commotion. But looking through to the front of the bar he could see just how busy the pub had become. Happy hour was clearly more popular in Walford than he imagined and he watched his sister bustling about, chatting lots whilst trying to make a dent in the queue of noisy punters who waited patiently to be served. It would've taken much more noise than that to disturb Roxy, who didn't often hear things unless she was purposefully listening out for it. Making his way up to his mother and daughter, Drew froze on the first stair as he heard a distinctive cry followed by an equally familiar wail from a room on the floor above him. Rushing up the rest of the stairs, he could hear crying coming from the kitchen and as he reached the landing outside the room that he'd left not so long ago his heart dropped, and he looked at his daughter who stood staring in shock at the floor before her. Following her gaze he looked down at his sister who sat in a heap on the floor, gripping hopelessly onto the cardigan and crying into the arms of their mother, who knelt beside her, crying just as uncontrollably, holding her daughter as though she'd never expected to hold her again…

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**Thanks so much to everyone for their comments :)  
****Totally drove me to completing this chapter as soon as I was alone with my laptop!  
****Have already started on the next chapter so hope to complete it soon - expect a bit of Ronnie in the next one x**


	35. Relief

**- Jessica -**

Jessica made her way up the stairs behind her father as fast as her pregnant body would let her. Her stomach had dropped at the look on her father's worried face that had accompanied the slap that had come from a room upstairs. She knew deep down who the slap had come from, and the feeling of dread had washed over her immediately when she realised almost instantly who the slap had been aimed at. But as she reached the top of the staircase and made her way round to the kitchen, nothing could've prepared her for the sight before her. Her father had grabbed hold of her Granddad by the back of his shirt and arm. She wasn't sure what sort of position her father had found him in, but from the look of Drew's reaction it had been a threatening one. Jessica looked over at her Grandmother and her heart skipped a beat as she saw a look on the woman's face that she'd never seen before. She looked utterly distraught, as though her world had crumbled from around her. Jessica began to feel anger towards the man who now struggled in her father's grasp. Her Grandmother was feeling this way all because of him! How could he do this to her? He must have loved her at one stage in his life, after all, he _had_ been married to her. He'd had three children with her. And children were a result of an act of love, especially between a married couple, right?

The twenty year old was relieved to see her father dragging the man out of the kitchen and away from her Grandmother. As far as she was concerned, Jessica would be happy if she never had to see Archie again. Once her father had disappeared from sight with the older man, the young woman slowly made her way over to her Grandmother, who had now taken a position standing over the work surface with the right side of her body facing her Granddaughter and the rest of the kitchen, leaning both of her palms on the treated wood while she took deep shaky breaths. Jessica couldn't blame her, after all seeing her ex-husband for the first time in so many years must have been quite a shock. As she approached the woman, she reached out her arm and wrapped it around Glenda's slim waist, hoping to provide some form of comfort, but she could feel her Grandmother continuing to tremble as she stared in shock at the surface across from her whilst shaking her head slightly.

JESSICA: It's okay Gran…he's gone.

GLENDA: It's not okay.

Jessica was taken aback by her Grandmother's broken voice as she spoke in almost disbelief. She'd always been so strong, such an important person in the young woman's life, a beacon of determination and positive thinking. But for the first time in her living memory Jessica looked on at her Grandmother with worry. What had happened just now between Glenda and Archie? What had happened in the past? Why was she so afraid of him?

GLENDA: It's not okay. He said… He said something I'd never ever wanted to hear.

Jessica peeled her arm from around the woman, and stepped round to the other side of her, flicking the kettle back on leaving it to boil for no more than twenty seconds or so while she gathered a teaspoon from the draw of the kitchen. No matter what, a cup of tea was bound to make her Grandmother feel better, perhaps bring the woman back to her normal self. She looked at the older woman's face as tears slowly began to seep from her eyes and down her cheeks. With a sniff Glenda continued:

GLENDA: He said…Veronica…she'd…_died._

Jessica froze as her Grandmother whispered the final word as though she didn't believe it, and the woman had every reason not to, because it wasn't true. The twenty year old's heart began to race. She'd never spoken about her Aunt in front of her Grandmother before. It had stemmed from strict instructions her father had given her from a very young age. That it had been best that Jessica not mention anything about her Auntie Ronnie or Auntie Roxy to her Grandmother, nor for her to mention anything about her Grandmother to her Auntie Ronnie or Auntie Roxy. Whenever she'd asked why when she was younger, her Dad had always said that the women would get upset at the mention of each other. Until one day, Jessica had asked Drew again why she couldn't tell her Grandmother about the amazing cheque that she'd received for her eighteenth birthday from her Aunts and Drew had finally revealed the truth. That it was for her Grandmother's protection. Because if her Grandmother got in touch with her Aunts then her Granddad might hurt her, might even hurt them, because he was a selfish and dangerous man. Jessica had chosen not to pursue the questions further, nor to go against her father's warnings, to protect her family from each other. The sound of her Grandmother mentioning her Aunt for the first time took the twenty year old by surprise and she stared at the woman somewhat confused. She had never heard Glenda speak a word of Ronnie or Roxy to her before, nor had she ever toiled with the idea that her Grandmother even thought of her estranged daughters anymore. By the look on Glenda's face, Jessica could tell that the woman was devastated by the lie Archie had told her. A natural reaction for most mothers, but for one who hadn't seen her daughter in over twenty years, this was something that puzzled Jessica. It was clear from the look on her tear stained face that Ronnie had meant a lot to Glenda, that she still did, she'd just chosen never to reveal the deep love she'd always held for her eldest daughter until now. Jessica wanted to say something, to tell her that everything was okay…that Archie had lied. But before anything more could be said, Jessica heard a voice coming from the top of the stairs that made her heart skip a beat. If this whole situation couldn't have got much more emotional, then it was about to:

RONNIE: Jessie, what's going on-?

Jessica looked past her Grandmother, to see the tall blonde figure of her Aunt appear at the door and pause on the spot, the woman's face dropping at the sight of Jessica's Grandmother:

RONNIE: Mum?

The word breezed into the room with a whisper and the young woman's heart melted as her Grandmother jumped at her Aunt's voice. Jessica wasn't sure who to watch more, either way she looked on in shock as a turn of events merged into a blur before her very eyes. A wail fell out of Glenda's mouth as she clasped eyes on the figure at the door as though she'd seen a ghost. Meanwhile, Ronnie wailed as her knee's seemed to begin to fail her and she reached out to the door frame for support, her reaction similarly as though she'd just set eyes on a ghost. Jessica watched as her Grandmother began to slowly walk over to her Aunt, who in turn staggered towards the woman, both of whom cried loudly. Jessica couldn't believe the reaction of her Aunt, someone who she imagined would turn very cold and angry the moment she laid eyes on her estranged mother. But as Ronnie reached Glenda, she grabbed a handful of her mother's light cardigan and fell to her knees in a mix of what seemed to be disbelief and relief. Jessica watched as her Grandmother also fell to her knees with Ronnie, wrapping her tightly in her arms as she stroked back her Aunt's hair and rocked side to side with her, crying softly. Jessica found her eyes glancing up at the kitchen door as her father appeared from the staircase, looking at her in shock at the current situation, before looking down at the two women in pieces on the floor…

**- Glenda -**

Glenda caught her breath as she watched her son dragging Archie away from her, out of the kitchen and towards the staircase. Despite the shock of his aggressive ways, it was a nature that Glenda had always been used to. In fact she'd been expecting it and was surprised he had waited several minutes before he'd attempted to lash out. But now she was left with an empty feeling inside. Her heart felt as though it had been torn to pieces. Her Veronica was _dead_. He'd said so himself. Her beautiful blonde baby girl. Her first born daughter. Her pride and joy. _Gone_. Glenda felt light headed and turned to her left, leaning on the work surface to try and sort her thoughts. She needed to go to the police station, try to find out what really happened, find the autopsy report or something. Would the autopsy report even exist after nineteen years? _Nineteen years_. Glenda felt her body trembling at the thought that so many years had past when she'd thought of her daughter, wondering what she might be doing at that time or where she'd be when all that time she was _dead_. As she felt her Granddaughter approach her, Glenda closed her eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths. The final look on her daughter's face when she'd left the house all those years ago was an image that had haunted her for years. Those sharp blue eyes that were the duplicate of her own, tainted with tears, those slim lips and that slender face that was shaped into fear of her desertion. She'd seen so much of herself in that look her daughter had given her. Over the years Glenda had imagined how that face had evolved into the young woman that she presumed her Veronica had become. But now the only image that remained was that image of her fourteen year old daughter. Much how her daughter had probably looked when she'd died. Glenda wrenched her eyes open and stared at the work surface in shock, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. All that she'd hoped for had completely vanished. Her daughter…

JESSICA: It's okay Gran…he's gone.

GLENDA: It's not okay.

How could it be okay? She almost wished Archie _had_ hit her. She needed to feel some sort of physical pain that could hopefully overtake her aching heart. No amount of comfort her Granddaughter attempted to give her could possibly release the feeling of grief that was slowly seeping through her whole body. All of a sudden she realised that Jessica had wrapped her hand around her waist. How had she not noticed it before? Glenda had to admit she'd never noticed a lot when she'd been thinking about her Veronica in the past, why should it be different now she was…_dead_? Her Granddaughter deserved an explanation. A reason as to why she was overcome with shock. Why any attempt at comfort would only end in failure at the moment.

GLENDA: It's not okay. He said… He said something I'd never ever wanted to hear.

She wasn't entirely sure what else to say at the moment. She'd never spoken about her daughter's to her Granddaughter before. As far as she was aware Andrew hadn't kept in contact with either Veronica or Roxanne. She had never really discussed them with him, only entertaining the imagination of what they would be up to at that moment, but Andrew had seemed uninterested in the notion that his sisters would be doing the amazing things that she imagined they'd be doing. Glenda presumed that he'd disowned his sisters after they'd been left with their father, presuming that he felt that they'd been turned into Daddy's girls, which Glenda dutifully agreed with in her mind. Chances were they had. She felt her Granddaughter peel her arm from around her waist and heard her step to her other side and flick the kettle back on. Glenda felt the tears, that had built up in her eyes from the moment Archie had told her about Veronica, begin to stream down her cheeks. She was afraid to relay what her ex-husband had said, for fear that it would lead Jessica to ask a tonne of questions about the Aunt that she might not know about. Questions that Glenda wasn't prepared to answer yet. But she ploughed on speaking the words carefully:

GLENDA: He said…Veronica…she'd…_died._

Saying the words out loud felt like a knife to the heart and Glenda choked back a wail that was building up in her lungs. She saw her Granddaughter stare at her in shock, out of the corner of her eye, but she chose not to look at the young woman. No doubt an extensive amount of questions were about to come her way, probably asking her who this 'Veronica' was and how she knew her. Then would come the questions asking her why she'd never been mentioned before and how she could've been kept a secret for so long. But the questions never came. Glenda froze as a voice made its way into the kitchen from a figure walking towards them from the stairs:

RONNIE: Jessie, what's going on-?

Glenda tilted her head slightly, the voice sounded so familiar. A little deeper than she remembered, not quite as high pitched and innocent as it once had been, but still familiar. It's sound sent a small chill over her body and Glenda's breath caught in her lungs as she turned to see the figure of the daughter she'd been told had died, stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Her Veronica now stood before her, with a look of shock and disbelief. Once the young teenager Glenda remembered, her daughter now stood tall and slim, her silky blonde hair, her facial features having matured with age more beautifully than she could've ever imagined, and a figure to make any woman envious. But what caught Glenda's attention the most were the features that she'd always remembered, those sharp blue eyes her daughter had inherited from her. Eyes tainted with tears as they stared back at her in surprise. She was _alive!_ Glenda heard the wail that left her own lips but she didn't care, the wave of relief she felt now overcame any emotion she had once been feeling as she watched her daughter take hold of the doorway for support. Glenda wanted to help her, to hold her in her arms like she'd dreamt of doing for the past twenty years, and as she cried she took tentative steps towards her grown daughter praying that she wouldn't run off. To her relief, her daughter let out a similar wail before slowly making her way towards her, tears flooding down her cheeks. As the women met, Glenda felt Veronica grab her cardigan with both her hands as a form of support giving the mother an opportunity to wrap her arms around the trembling figure of her daughter before Ronnie collapsed to the ground. The older woman fell with her, taking her daughter in her arms, finally feeling complete for the first time in so many years, as she felt the woman before her sobbing uncontrollably into her chest. Words couldn't describe the sense of relief Glenda felt. Relief that her daughter was alive, that her daughter hadn't ran at the sight of her, that she embraced her mother, that she was willing to let her hold her, to hug her. Glenda pushed back the long blonde hair off her daughter's face and rocked her back and forth, wanting to comfort her as Veronica cried loudly, despite knowing just how worked up she was herself. The empty void that had been created in her heart twenty years ago had finally begun to mend itself and as she savoured this reunion, she chose not to look at the new arrival at the door of kitchen, knowing full well by his lack of intervention that it was her son, Andrew.

**-Ronnie -**

JACK: Where are you going?

Ronnie stepped away from the chair that she had been sat at, and looked down at the deep brown eyes of her handsome fiancé as he looked up at her with a small frown. Only a matter of minutes ago her niece had led her brother out of the front of the pub and out the back. She couldn't explain it. There had been this look on Jessica's face that gave Ronnie the feeling that things weren't okay, despite what her niece had said. Ronnie had to find out what was going on. What had happened to make her once bubbly, happy niece turn so nervous and dubious? Was it Tanya? What had the woman said? She felt Jack's warm hand envelope hers and she looked at him with a small smile:

RONNIE: I'm just going to see if Jessie's okay.

JACK: Are you sure that's a wise idea? I mean, she _did_ say everything was alright.

Ronnie rolled her eyes slightly with a sigh. Jack was a typical man. He saw things straight up, never looking for signs of a change in character, just presuming that if someone said they were okay, then they were okay. But Ronnie had got to know her niece properly over the past couple of days, she had already got the instinct to know when the young woman was okay or not, and Jessica hadn't been as okay as she said she had. The longer Ronnie stood, waiting for Jack to finish delaying her, the more concerned she became about her niece. What if Jessica had needed to talk to her but hadn't wanted to pull her away from Jack? What if her niece needed her but had to make do with her father? Ronnie needed to find her, to just double check that everything _was_ alright.

RONNIE: Yes but she didn't seem alright. Sean, you can see what I mean right?

For the first time in her life Ronnie was looking over at Sean with a slight hint of desperation, praying that he'd seen what she'd seen, and if he hadn't then she prayed that he'd at least play along for her sake. But to her dismay, the man simply shrugged as he continued munching on a chip butty:

SEAN: She gets like that from time to time Ronnie. Sometimes she has to talk to Drew about one thing or another, you get used to it.

Ronnie's heart dropped as she watched Jack raise his hands in thanks to Sean. Was she crazy? Had her doubt in Tanya's ability to talk to Jessica affectionately clouded her rational thinking? She didn't want to smother her niece, but at the same time she didn't want to neglect her if Jessica had been subtle hinting for her Aunt to approach her privately. Ronnie struggled to shrug off the feeling that she should find her niece to make sure everything was alright, for her own peace of mind if anything:

RONNIE: Well, I'll just double check she's okay. You know, just in case.

She watched as Sean shrugged again, nodding, before returning his attention back to his dinner. Ronnie felt her hand being taken again and she looked down at Jack who squeezed her hand affectionately, giving her a reassuring smile. She loved him so much. He was so kind and caring and supportive when she needed him to be, and right now he was doing all that he needed to be doing to be mindful of both herself and of Jessica. But Ronnie had made her mind up, and slowly made her way to the back of the pub. A loud scuffle could be heard as she reached the doorway that separated the front of the pub to the back of the pub where she was headed. All of a sudden her brother made his way down the staircase dragging their father roughly, closely behind him. Ronnie's stomach twisted as she saw the commotion. It was a relief to her that her big brother was finally big and strong enough to be able to sort Archie out. She remembered the moment their father had thrown Drew out of the family home, it had been a much different scenario then:

_Ronnie stood in the kitchen, leant up against the washing machine that made a loud rumbling sound, but despite the irritating noise the vibrations from the machine onto her back soothed her somewhat. No less than an hour ago she'd been scurried straight from school into the front room and sat in front of the TV by her big brother, before he dashed up the stairs. Now she stood, watching him comfort their mother. Ronnie could see bruises on her mother's arms and a red mark on her mother's cheek, the sight of the now frail woman who she regarded so highly scared her. What had her father done to her? And where was he now? She'd always known her father had violent tendencies, she'd seen him on many occasions threatening her mother one way or another, but she'd never seen her mother looking so afraid. Fortunately due to the rumbling of the washing machine Ronnie couldn't quite here what her brother and mother were talking about as they sat with their respective cups of tea. She didn't want to know what they were saying, deciding that she was better off not knowing._

_All of a sudden, Ronnie looked to the door of the kitchen, the door which her family had their backs to, and she let out a little scream as, to her horror, she saw her father pacing into the room at lightening speed. Archie grabbed Drew by the back of his school shirt, the sixteen year old letting out a little yelp before protesting at his father's heavy handedness. Ronnie ran to her mother, who had risen from her seat as quickly as her weak body would let her, the eleven year old's heart racing in fear at what her father might do to her brother. Glenda raced after Archie, screeching at him to let their son go, asking him what he was doing. The sound of the woman's piercing voice rattled Ronnie's ears and as they all approached the front door of the house, the youngster looked up at her mother to see tears streaming down her strained face. She'd never seen her mother looking so petrified in her life._

_Ronnie jumped as Archie yelled at the top of his booming voice to Drew before slinging him as far and hard as possible out of the large front door of the house. All she could do was stand and stare in horror as her mother attempted to lunge forward to help her son up. But Archie had caught hold of Glenda and pulled her back into the house before she could get anywhere near Drew, threatening her. Ronnie pulled her mother towards her, clasping hold of the woman's clammy hand as tears continued to pour down her face. Ronnie couldn't believe what was happening. Her blue eyes caught sight of a large suitcase that lay a couple of steps down from her brother and her heart fell. She knew what was happening. Sure enough her father confirmed that Drew was to leave the household, and if he was to ever return, he'd not only end up dead but so would Ronnie and Glenda._

Ronnie watched as her brother dragged her father out of the back door and presumably towards the back gate. It was funny how so many different memories, memories that she had packed so firmly away into the back of her mind, had resurfaced since she had been reunited with her brother. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ronnie began to walk towards the stairs, wondering if Archie had actually been the reason why her niece had wanted to talk to her brother in the first place. After all, the twenty year old had every reason to be dubious and nervous about that. The man was a nasty piece of work, why would she ever want to be around someone like that? Ronnie placed a hand on the banister of the stairs, straining her ears for any sound of her niece upstairs, but to her disappointment Happy Hour in The Vic had just started, and there was a nice gathering of punters milling about by the bar chatting and laughing away. So Ronnie's hearing became limited to that of the front of the bar. She slowly made her way up a few of the stairs, listening out for the sound of her niece walking about. But as she approached the top of the stairs, she heard a voice and for a moment felt certain she'd heard her _name_.

Hesitating slightly, listening out for more, Ronnie's heart began to beat fast. What was going on? Why had her father been up there? But no more voices sounded, just silence as the kettle clicked off from the kitchen. Now was a better time than any to confront her niece, especially if a cup of tea was involved. As her brother was downstairs sorting her father out, now was the perfect time to have a private conversation with Jessica. So with a deep breath, Ronnie reached the top of the stairs and made her way towards the kitchen:

RONNIE: Jessie, what's going on-?

The tail-end of her sentence caught in her throat as her stomach twisted. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, Ronnie froze, staring in disbelief at the woman who stood with her niece. Tall, slim and much older than she remembered, as expected. Was that her-

RONNIE: Mum?

Ronnie used the remainder of her breath on the final word. The woman appeared to have tears rolling down her cheeks, as though she'd received the worst news in the world and Ronnie paused, drinking in the sight of her mother for the first time in twenty years. Glenda didn't look as tall as she remembered, but then again Ronnie must have grown a good half a foot in the growth spurt she received when she was sixteen, so height-wise things were never going to be the same as it had been. She watched as the slim figure of her mother turned towards her and Ronnie stared at the features on Glenda's face as the woman's mouth dropped open in shock, the familiar sharp blue eyes that she'd inherited staring at her in disbelief as a wail fell out of Glenda's mouth. The sound had taken Ronnie by surprise, she felt her knees beginning to buckle from beneath her, and she reached out to grab the doorway for support. She watched in shock as her mother held out her arms. Those arms that she'd craved being wrapped up in for so many years. There was nobody who held her better than her own mother, she'd always felt so safe and loved whenever her mother had cuddled her when she was young. Ronnie hesitated for fear that the cuddles may not be the same now she was an adult, that they wouldn't have the same effect, that she wouldn't feel safe and loved but more confused and insecure.

As Glenda took slow steps towards her, Ronnie let out a wail, a wail that released a rush of breath that she had held inside her since she'd appeared at the kitchen door, and she found her own feet leading her towards her mother whilst her heart raced.

It happened almost in slow motion. Ronnie reached out, taking handfuls of the light cardigan in front of her, checking that all that was happening was real and not just a figment of her imagination. After all, she'd imagined this moment over and over again in her thoughts and dreams. She never in a million years imagined it would come true. With one final exhale of breath, Ronnie cried heavily as she felt the warm arms of her mother wrap their way around her body. With that one simple act of contact Glenda had somehow lifted a weight off her shoulders and Ronnie felt nothing more than utter relief as she inhaled her mother's perfume. A smell that she hadn't smelt in over twenty years. A smell that immediately reminded her of home. Of safety. Of love. Ronnie fell to the floor, clinging to Glenda's cardigan and she felt her mother fall with her, kneeling close beside her, cradling her in her arms as they both continued to cry, Ronnie wailing louder than her mother. There was so much she wanted to ask her, so much she had to tell her, twenty years worth of stories, from her harrowing teenage years to the past few difficult years. But despite everything, as Ronnie sat in a heap in the floor and her mother rocked her from side to side, the woman knew that from now on everything was going to be okay, because she had her Mum.

* * *

**Thought I'd give this bit a three-point-perspective. Only fair really as it's all such a big deal.  
Well, what's Glenda going to make of Ronnie's twenty years? What's Ronnie going to make of Glenda's twenty years? And...there surely can't be ANOTHER little twist...can there? ;)  
****Thanks so much for the comments guys, definitely forced me to stick at finishing this chapter knowing that at least someone will be waiting to read it!  
****Expect an update soon xx**


	36. A Little Rest and a Drink of Juice

Jessica stood frozen to the spot in the kitchen, continuing to look down at the two women on the floor before her, both of whom she'd never imagined she'd ever see in the current state they were in at that very moment in time. Her Auntie Ronnie had been the epitome of impassiveness for as long as Jessica could remember, and her Grandma…well, her Grandma had been much the same to everyone except her own Granddaughter and her son. Never _ever_ one for talking about how she really felt deep down, or digging up memories of the past. As Jessica continued to think further about it all, it was a surprise to her that her Aunt and Grandmother really were rather similar.

To strangers, both women were difficult to get to know, due to a difficulty they had letting people into their lives with ease. For family it could be just as challenging, if they were happy for you in one way or another you definitely knew about it, and both women would be eager with ongoing declarations of love and support. But on rare occasions something would get to them, something that drew a dark cloud over themselves and anybody who dared to cross them. Neither would expose the reason behind whatever it was that had tugged them into the darkness and both would become quiet, distant, and often moody if something wrong was said to them. And nine times out of ten, the loved ones around them were the ones who suffered. There were of course a million memories that Jessica could pluck out of her mind that featured her Aunt in one of her dark moods, because they were most of the memories that she had of Ronnie during her childhood. But of her Grandmother, Jessica could only pick one particular memory, presumably because Glenda kept her dark times away from the light of her Granddaughter:

_Jessica opened her bleary eyes and brought a fist up to rub them slowly as she adjusted to the light seeping through the gap of her curtains and into her bedroom. She glanced from her pink flowered curtains, past the posters of S Club 7, Steps, and The Spice Girls, and over to the digital clock that made a low humming noise. 06:30 - Sat 08 Jul. Her eyes moved across from the small clock over to her bedroom door where her blue eyes focused on a small teddy with a toy flower in its paws, that lay on the floor. A smile grew on the eleven year old's face and she sat up quickly, her heart beating fast with excitement. For those few premature moments after waking she'd completely forgotten that her Grandmother was staying at her house for a couple of days whilst the plumbing was being fixed at her flat. She loved her Grandmother to pieces. She was the most stable woman in her life. Her mother had left home when Jessica had been just a baby, but the youngster didn't pine for the woman, after all she'd never really known a time when she'd been around. But Jessica had seen her Grandmother at least once a week for as long as she could remember. She usually went to Glenda's on a Saturday morning whilst Drew went to work, stayed for lunch, then would wait for her father to meet them in the afternoon before they went home. But this weekend was different, her Grandmother was staying at their's all weekend._

_Jessica's little feet landed on the floor with a thud and she scurried to her bedroom door, stooping to pick the small teddy up before yanking the door open, the hinges making a small squeaking noise as they always had done. She waited in the doorway, holding her breath and straining her ears for any sign of movement from her Grandmother. On hearing low voices from the floor below, Jessica took to the stairs with excitement, the small teddy bear that her Grandmother had bought her the previous day still clutched in her right hand. _

_There was this smile her Grandmother always had when she saw her Granddaughter, as though there was nobody in the world who meant more to her than Jessica, as though the little girl was the light of her world. They had always got on so well, Jessica having always found an ally in Glenda when needing to beg her Daddy for something. Her Grandmother was always one for merely saying "Oh Andrew, let her have some sweets just this once." when all three Mitchell's knew full well there would always be the next time, and the time after that. Jessica often gathered herself in her Grandmother's arms, squeezing the woman's small waist tightly, speaking with honest innocence "Daddy never lets me have as many sweeties when I'm not with you" which Glenda always swiftly followed with "Well Jessica, that's because I'm your Gran, and it's my job to let you have lots and lots of sweeties" then the two would snuggle up on the sofa watching whatever Disney video Jessica wanted to watch, while they both shared sweeties and drank cups of tea. Yep, Saturday was definitely Jessica's favourite day of the week, and her Grandmother was definitely her favourite female in the whole world._

_Jessica reached the bottom of the staircase, skidding slightly as her socks reached the laminate flooring at the foot of the stairs, but she steadied herself, swung around the banister and ran in the direction of the kitchen that stood at the back of the house. Out of breath, she slowed her pace as she reached the closed kitchen door, and raising her left hand up to the door handle, she heard her father's voice:_

_DREW: Well, have you thought about sending her a card, Mum? I mean even though she's twenty six, she's never too old for a birthday card._

_GLENDA: You don't think I've already sent her a card? I've sent her a birthday card every year since I left and I've heard nothing back from her. Nothing!_

_Jessica paused, having never heard her Grandmother snap at her father before. She'd certainly never heard her Grandmother sounding so upset. For a fleeting moment the eleven year old hesitated, afraid of what sort of state her Grandmother would look in, but then curiosity got the better of her. Who were they talking about? _

_GLENDA: He'll have turned her by now, you know he will have._

_DREW: Come on, you know we don't talk about him anymore, Mum._

_GLENDA: I'm right though, you know I am. I bet she hasn't spared a single thought about me since I left. Probably best too. Probably best she doesn't remember a thing about me._

_DREW: I'm sure that's not true._

_GLENDA: God, I should've taken her with me when I had the chance…With a small frown, the little girl opened the door and as she stepped into the warm kitchen, the two adults within the room turned to look at her. Jessica's eyes sucked in the scene before her. The kettle was still steaming, but the cups on the kitchen table were full of tea so Jessica knew they can't have long been poured. The smell of toast seeped into her nostrils but she couldn't spy any on the table so she presumed her father had forgotten he had some in the toaster. Her father stood with his arms crossed, leant against the work surface with the toaster in question sat behind him. At the table, with her watery eyes immersed within the blotchy puffy outer layer of her face, sat her Grandmother, a woman she'd been so sure never cried over anything, especially so early in the morning. Yet here she was, and with a loud sniff Glenda brought a soggy looking tissue up to her nose._

_JESSICA: Grandma? Are you okay?_

_Jessica slowly began to make her way over to her Grandmother, worried to find that the woman didn't give her the warm smile she usually did. In fact, as the young girl approached her, Glenda straightened her back, wiping back the tears quickly and clearing her throat followed by a large sniff:_

_GLENDA: I'm fine. Honest._

_Jessica began lifting her arms towards the woman but instead of welcoming her Granddaughter onto her lap for a little cuddle, Glenda quickly stood up, smoothed down her dressing gown, and walked out of the room without another glance. Jessica stood on the spot, hardly breathing, hardly able to believe what had just happened. Her Grandmother had never walked away from her before, and the sight of the woman's back disappearing out of the room upset Jessica. A large warm hand could be felt resting on her shoulder, and the voice of her father followed it:_

_DREW: Jessie, your Gran's just having a difficult morning. Today…well today is a day that makes her very sad._

_Jessica took a seat at the table as her father motioned her to do so, and she continued to stare at the door of the kitchen that her Grandmother had just walked out of. This was the first time in a while that Jessica felt sad. Sad for her Grandmother, sad for herself and sad for their Saturday which she presumed wouldn't quite be the fun day it usually was when she and Glenda were together._

_JESSICA: Why? What is it about today?_

_Jessica heard her father pause his motions during which he'd been spreading peanut butter over a slice of toast for her. She heard him let out a long sigh, and even though she was young she wasn't stupid, she could tell he was thinking hard about his response. Jessica turned to look at her father who walked over to the kitchen table she was sat out and placed the plate of toast in front of her, keeping his voice low, though whether this was because he didn't want his mother to hear Jessica wasn't sure:_

_DREW: Many years ago Grandma lost someone who was very special to her, someone who she loved very, very much and today would be this person's birthday. _

_Jessica looked from her father's sad face, down to the slice of toast and suddenly felt very sorry for her Grandmother. Well, the reason why the woman seemed so sad made sense. She wanted to see the person she'd lost on that person's birthday, which was fair enough, as birthday's were such a happy occasion. Well, usually. Jessica had to admit there was always one person who looked unhappy at every one of her birthday parties and that was her Auntie Ronnie. The woman who she desperately wished to feel some sort of connection with like she did her Auntie Roxy. Always sat in the corner, staring absent minded into or at a locket that forever hung around her neck, not a smile to be seen, that was her Auntie Ronnie. As Jessica took a huge bite into her toast, her mind reverted back to her Grandmother and she hoped beyond all hope that the woman she loved so dearly would be feeling better by the afternoon._

Jessica watched as the look on her Aunt's face ceased to soften, it was still scrunched up, tears still flowing freely from her cheeks. Most people would've ran out of tears by now, but her Auntie Ronnie wasn't most people. She barely cried at anything. Right now, Jessica could tell that each tear amounted to the years of stress and upset that had been caused without Glenda around. Tears which had piled up over the years and had finally found a release. She watched her father stoop down to the two women, who both sniffled loudly, neither having moved from the position they'd collapsed into minutes earlier.

DREW: Come on, lets go into the sitting room and we'll get some tea on the go.

It was a classic response from Drew, one that he had inherited from his mother. She'd always been one to cure any situation with a cup of tea. Drew reached out a hand and gently took hold of his sister's arm, slowly peeling her from their mother's embrace. As Ronnie reluctantly stood up with his help, he could feel her body trembling, though whether this was due to the uncontrollable crying she'd just undergone or the shock of seeing their mother for the first time in twenty years, Drew couldn't tell. He slowly coaxed his little sister towards the door of the kitchen, though the woman through her tears continued to look back at their mother as though she feared she may never see her again. Drew paused taking a deep breath, it broke his heart to see Ronnie so upset, and he turned to follow her gaze down to their mother. The look on Glenda's tear stained face was that of a woman who was worried she may never see her children again.

DREW: Mum? Come on.

At the sound of his words, Glenda sniffed loudly before slowly lifting her body off the floor. Jessica stepped over to her Grandmother, her heart melting as she took the woman's arm and helped her off the floor. She had no idea what was going to happen now. Now that the initial shock was almost over. Once the two women sat down what would happen then? What would they say? Jessica looked over to her Auntie Ronnie who clung to her brother's arm with her right hand. As Glenda stood up straight and took a deep shaky breath, Ronnie held her left hand out to her mother. Drew looked at his daughter's surprised reaction and he could understand it completely. For as long as Jessica had known her Aunt, Ronnie had been cold, a recluse, refusing affection, refusing to smile or laugh. The past few minutes must have seemed alien to the young woman, who had never imagined her Aunt held the ability to form such affection towards one person. But to Drew, this side of Ronnie wasn't alien to him at all. This was the Ronnie he remembered from when they were children.

_Drew gently ran after his baby sister, who cycled in circles with loud giggles around the back garden of the large house in Romford. Roxy pedalled as fast as her feet could manage, as far as possible from her big thirteen year old brother. It had only been a month since the youngster had learnt how to cycle without stabilisers but the little blonde had become a pro thanks to the long warm summer days following her initial attempt at cycling without support. Drew paused and bent over slightly in an attempt to regain his breath._

_ROXY: Come on Drew! Come catch me!_

_DREW: I can't Annie, you're just too fast!_

_His comment made the five year old's head roll back with heaving laughter, presuming that her big brother was joking, but he really wasn't. The novelty of chasing her around the garden had quickly worn off, and the repetition of the activity mixed with the heat of the afternoon sun had begun to tire him out. All of a sudden a familiar voice called out to them from the patio that stood beside the house and the two children turned to the owner:_

_GLENDA: Roxanne, why don't you let your brother rest for a moment? He's been chasing you for ages._

_Drew looked over at his mother gratefully. The woman sat at a summer table, dressed in a long light yellow dress with a large hat on her head to protect her from the sunshine. Her slender arms lay out over her legs as her hands weaved an immaculate long plait with her eldest daughter's hair. Ronnie sat beside her mother, her back facing the woman as she had her hair plaited, swinging her long legs that had just begun to scrape the ground with the tips of her toes while holding a hand up to her face to protect her eyes from the sun as she looked over at her siblings with a small smile. Drew had never seen a child more content in spending time with her mother than Ronnie. At any given opportunity the young girl always chose to sit or stand by her mother's side and watch what the woman was doing, drinking in every last detail. Whether it be sewing, reading, cooking, cleaning, and Glenda was always pleased to have her daughter by her side, content with listening to the little blonde happily chatting away to her mother. Which is what they'd just been doing whilst Glenda had been plaiting the nine year old's long blonde hair._

_Drew took the opportunity to walk over to the patio and grabbed his glass of juice that had sat on the tabletop, much to his baby sister's disgust. Roxy stepped over the new bike that her father had bought her for her birthday a few months back and threw it to the ground angrily. Her bottom lip stuck out and she'd furrowed her brow as she stared over at her mother with a face like thunder whilst her brother took a seat at the garden table._

_ROXY: Drew! You said you'd chase me!GLENDA: He has been chasing you! He just needs a little rest and a drink of juice._

_Drew looked from his baby sister, to his mother who had a hopeless look on her face as she spoke sternly to the youngest Mitchell, before he looked back over at Roxy. The little girl was a terror for tantrums, and rarely stopped until she got her own way, or at least until their father had got home from work. That was when she became truly happy again. Mostly because Archie treated her like a princess. She got whatever she wanted, she was never told she was wrong, and she often got her own way - much to Glenda's dismay._

_ROXY: You've ruined everything! You're the worst Mummy in the world! I __hate__ you!_

_Drew looked back over to his mother and couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She received nothing but spiteful, verbal abuse from the little girl, who was supposed to be her baby, her lovely innocent baby. But instead the five year old was a sheer Daddy's girl, replicating the disappointment her father always had in Glenda, always yelling at her and whining about how unfair life was while her father wasn't around. He could tell by the look on his mother's face that the woman had become adjusted to the abuse from the little blonde and Drew had recently realised that instead of yelling back or walking away Glenda would just focus her attention on her two other children, Drew and Ronnie. The woman looked away from her youngest and drew her eyes back round to her eldest daughter, sighing before speaking in a quiet tone to prove that she wasn't even going to stoop to the level that Roxy was at:_

_GLENDA: There we go Veronica, darling. All finished._

_Drew watched his younger sister turn on the chair and bring her hand back to feel the length of the plait, a large grin growing on her face when she realised the brilliant job their mother had done. The many days of the school summer holiday spent out in the sunshine had brought the freckles out around the top of Ronnie's nose and cheeks, and an identical smile grew on Glenda's face as her favourite daughter spoke in awe and appreciation of the time her mother had spent on her hair._

_RONNIE: Mum it's perfect! Thank you!_

_The relaxed smile on their mother's face was a refreshing change to the usual harrowed look that the woman often wore and Drew watched with a smile as his younger sister threw her arms around their mother's neck and gave her a huge hug in thanks for the creative handiwork plaiting her hair. He knew that keeping Ronnie happy was often Glenda's main aim, mostly due to their similarities both visually and by personality too, and that seeing the girl happy made their mother happy, at least on the outside anyway. Drew watched as the nine year old clambered onto Glenda's lap and their mother tenderly wrapped her arms around the girl's little waist as Ronnie reached out to grab her colouring book and colouring pens._

_RONNIE: I think I'll draw a picture of us._

_GLENDA: Who? You and me?_

_RONNIE: And Drew and Roxy._

_Drew watched his mother peer over her daughter's shoulder as Ronnie leaned close to the plain paper, focusing intently on the pen she held in her hand as she began to draw a meticulous face, which was closely followed by a long flowing yellow dress. Glenda let out an obvious gasp and pointed at the drawing, to which Ronnie giggled slightly:_

_GLENDA: Who's that beautiful lady then?_

_RONNIE: You of course! See, because of the yellow dress._

_GLENDA: Oh, of course._

_Drew laughed, watching as his mother shot him a wicked grin and a little wink before returning her focus back on the picture her daughter was drawing for her. As Ronnie began to draw the next figure, Drew couldn't help but realise just how perfect this day had been. Their father, the dark cloud of the family, had been away since five the previous morning. He'd been expected back yesterday evening, but had called just as Roxy had been put to bed, claiming that he would be at the office until late so might as well stay over in the part of Essex he was currently at. Glenda hadn't minded too much, relieved to be spending the evening and following day away from him. Drew wasn't an idiot, he knew his parents didn't get along. It wasn't as though they were shouting 24/7, or as though they bickered every minute of the day, but there was always a frostiness in the air whenever he was around. As though neither knew what to say to each other. As though the love that they must've once had for each other had been sucked out of both of them and disapparated into nothingness. Both Drew and Glenda knew the real reason why he was away and had decided not to come home. Archie Mitchell was renowned for the amount of women he had cheated on his wife with. Drew had heard all the rumours from his friends from school who had heard it from their parents. Glenda had heard all the rumours from the other mothers who stood near her at the school gates when she went to drop off or pick up her girls. Drew had confronted his mother about it a year ago and only until recently had she admitted to him that the rumours were true, but that she chose to just get on with her life, to get on with bringing her children up because it was the right thing to do. Drew looked at the smile on his mother's face in admiration, that the woman chose to just get on with her life and make the most of the happy times in her life, like the times she spent with her children._

_GLENDA: Let me guess who this is._

_Ronnie put the lid on her pen and held the piece of paper up towards her mother, revealing the drawing of a slightly smaller person holding hands with the drawing of Glenda. Drew already knew the answer before anybody hazarded a guess as to who the new addition was. This was how Ronnie always drew her pictures. First of Glenda, presumably because Glenda was the most important person in her life, then she would draw herself to stand beside her mother, because the two of them together was so important to the nine year old._

_GLENDA: This beautiful girl must be you._

_A huge smile grew on Ronnie's face as her mother guessed correctly, and the girl placed the piece of paper down before picking her glass of juice up, taking several big slurps, then letting out a big gasp of air. Drew continued to smile at his sister's and mother's interaction. Today had been such a great day. The third week of the summer holidays and the seventh week of brilliant hot summer sunshine. Today Glenda and the children had walked into town to the local library, picked out a book each to take home and read, had walked to the shops to pick up some groceries and had an ice cream each, then walked home. No sooner had they got home the kids had jumped into the garden to make the most of the sun - Drew had climbed his favourite tree, Roxy had got her bicycle out to ride around the garden, and Ronnie started to read her new book before flitting in and out of the kitchen to help her mother prepare the lunch. The best thing about hot summer days was the amazing spread Glenda usually made to eat on the summer table outside on the paved area by the kitchen. Plenty of salad which she insisted her children ate (to which they grudgingly obliged), cold ham and slices of bread with butter, and a bag of crisps each. They'd spent the whole afternoon, since they'd come home from town, in the back garden, Glenda reading her book at the table whilst sipping cool orange juice, Ronnie following suit, both taking moments to look up and watch as Roxy insisted Drew chase her. They'd all seemed so relaxed without the worry or pressure of Archie returning home until later that evening. In the past it hadn't been unusual for the father of the family to be away for three or four days at a time due to 'work commitments'._

_RONNIE: Next I'm going to draw Drew. _

_ROXY: What about Daddy? You can't leave Daddy out._

_Drew watched Ronnie and Glenda hesitate as Roxy appeared at the table and spoke up. It wasn't often that Ronnie drew pictures that included Archie. Drew wasn't sure if this was because Ronnie didn't particularly like their father, that she was scared of him, that she hated the way he treated their mother, or because he wasn't really a main thought in her mind. He looked over to the five year old, who looked up at her sister and mother with a frown on her face. A frown that soon changed to a huge grin, and with her change in expression, Drew quickly looked over to his mother as a voice slithered from just outside the kitchen door._

_ARCHIE: Yeah Veronica, you can't leave your own Daddy out._

_Roxy gave a little screech of delight as she sprang away from the table, giggling giddily as she ran into her fathers arms and held him tight as the man lifted her up and swung her around in a big cuddle. Drew watched the colour drain from his mother's face as the woman chose not to turn around, but instead cleared her throat and straighten her back in the chair, as Ronnie remained on her lap. The nine year old's smile had also dropped, sensing her mother's discomfort at the new arrival. This was a common scene, but still not one that Drew ever became accustomed too. The delight his baby sister felt with the arrival of their father, yet the fear and unhappiness of their mother, followed by the sadness and uncertainty of his other sister. As Archie placed Roxy gently on the ground the five year old began recalling the days activities as Glenda continued to stare intently at the picture that Ronnie had been drawing:_

_ROXY: Daddy, we went to the library and I got a book, then we bought ice cream! I had a big chocolate ice cream but I couldn't finish it because it was too cold so I gave it to Drew._

_ARCHIE: Did you now…_

_Despite the heat from the sunshine, Drew felt a chill roll down his spine at his father's cold words. The smile on the man's face was for Roxy's benefit. The five year old usually only responded to facial expressions rather than tone, which was a good job because the tone was a disapproving one, and Drew knew why. Because by Archie's standards the children weren't allowed to have ice creams at all, especially before lunch._

_ROXY: Yep. Then we came home and we had lunch and Mummy made me eat salad and I hate salad!_

_ARCHIE: You do, don't you. Mummy shouldn't have made my little princess eat salad should she._

_Drew looked over from his father and sister, over to his mother, who was white as a sheet and continued to look down at the picture that Ronnie had decided to add another drawing to. As far as he was aware, his mother was going to be in trouble the moment he and his sisters went up to bed. She'd disobeyed his rules. She'd given the children unnecessary treats, and considering they were treats using 'his money' because she didn't work, it was twice as bad. To make matters worse, Glenda had forced Roxy to eat something she didn't want to eat. Even if it would make the girl healthy, Archie had always maintained that, as the youngest, Roxy should be able to eat whatever she wanted to, no matter what._

_ROXY: No. And now Drew won't chase me around the garden!_

_ARCHIE: Tell you what princess, why don't you run over to your bike and I'll chase you?_

_Drew had to hand it to the man, he was the only person in the world who managed to make Roxy's face light up the way it did, and right now the little five year old grinned from ear to ear as she squealed in delight while she quickly raced over to her bicycle in the middle of the garden. Drew held his breath and took a sip of his drink as Archie approached the table, leaning down and placing a forceful kiss on Glenda's cheek. The woman grimaced slightly at the contact, her body frozen in apparent shock as her husband brought his lips to her ear and spoke low._

_ARCHIE: You and I are going to have to have a word later._

_Drew clenched his fist at his father's words as he watched his mother take a gulp of air, clearly petrified of what the word might be about later that evening. The thirteen year old watched the man step closer to the garden and a little further from the summer table, but Glenda didn't relax and instead followed his tall dark figure with her eyes as her husband turned to her, holding his wrist up to reveal his watch._

_ARCHIE: What you still doing out here? Me and the kids will be wanting dinner in an hour._

_Archie turned on the spot with a sneering smile, before wandering over to Roxy who was busy trying to balance her bike with her tip toes. As he approached the little girl, giving her a little push to get her going, he looked back over to the table:_

_ARCHIE: Oh and one more thing Glenda. Try to tidy the house up while you're in there. Honestly, I'm away for just over a day and the place already looks like a bombs hit it._

_Drew looked over at his mother who continued to stare at her husband with tears in her eyes. Her face still looked drained of colour and he watched as the woman cleared her throat and made to lift her daughter off her lap._

_GLENDA: Come on Veronica, Mummy needs to put the dinner on._

_It was the horrible end to the day that the three of them hadn't wanted to see, and as Ronnie eased herself off her mother's lap, she turned, wrapped her arms around the woman's slim waist and gave her a huge hug. The nine year old knew her mother was unsettled, and that the arrival of her father had upset the woman in many ways. Drew watched as his mother stroked back Ronnie's hair with a sad smile, giving a kiss to the top of her head, before the girl reached up, took her mother's hand, and led her slowly to the house, wanting to support her every step of the way._

Jessica stayed by the kettle as she watched her aunt guide her grandmother out of the kitchen with Drew leading the way. She realised it was best that she be the one to make the cups of tea, after all the three adults looked as though they had so much history that they desperately needed to sort out, that the least she could do was hang back for a few minutes. The last thing they needed was a youngster interfering in their quality time together.

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**The first of many flashbacks me'thinks..  
****Sorry it's taken me a while to update. Been a very busy bee recently.** **But I've already begun the next chapter so stay tuned :)  
Sophie x**


	37. Mum

Ronnie could feel every single beat of her heart as she perched on the edge of the sofa in the living room of the Queen Vic Pub, her sharp puffy blue eyes focusing oh so intently on the slim figure of the woman perched beside her on the other half of the sofa. She couldn't drag her eyes away from her mother, possibly for fear that if she did it might all be just a dream. That her estranged mother hadn't appeared out of the blue after twenty years away. Ronnie couldn't believe her eyes, Glenda had barely changed over the years, and the final image that the woman held of her mother almost exactly fitted the profile of the woman sitting beside her right now. Sharp blue eyes, strong cheek bones and blonde hair much like her own, though Ronnie had a feeling her mother now dyed it as she was in her fifties. The thin tender lips that were an exact match to her own, the tall slender figure…Ronnie hadn't realised just how much she looked like her mother until now, and the woman stared at Glenda in fascination as she heard her brother take a seat in the armchair opposite the sofa. She could hear him sigh heavily as though he had no idea what would happen next. And to be honest, Ronnie was with him on that.

Glenda sat tentatively on the edge of the sofa. She could still feel her hands trembling so she kept them gripped together firmly on her lap as she drank in every feature of her eldest daughter. Her Veronica. The one person in the world who she'd been so desperate to see again, and at the same time the one person who she'd feared seeing the most. Not because she was afraid of what she would see, but more afraid of what might be said. It was so unusual to see the woman sat beside her. For Glenda, to look at her daughter was almost as if looking through a window into the past, Veronica looking so much like herself when she was in her thirties. The blonde hair that fell neatly beneath the shoulder, her sharp blue eyes, cheekbones that cupped her face, and her thin lips. Glenda knew she was staring, but she didn't care. She couldn't believe the young teen that she'd left all those years ago had grown into the beautiful woman before her. Of course she knew that her Veronica would've grown up gracefully features-wise and Glenda couldn't count the numerous days and nights that she'd spent imagining what her daughter looked like. She jumped slightly as she heard the voice that left Veronica's lips nervously:

RONNIE: So…what are you doing here Mum?

It felt so alien to have called someone that title after so many years and Ronnie couldn't help speaking it in an almost broken tone. She cleared her throat as she thought about the word. _Mum_. Her Mum. The woman who she had admired so much throughout her childhood and early teens. The woman who she had followed with no hesitation, attempted to protect and patch up in whatever way possible, whether it had been with words or a cuddle or even with the contents of a first aid kit. Her Mum had been her whole world for fourteen years. She'd adored her. Then all of a sudden she'd left and Ronnie had been abandoned, forced to grow up fast, to quickly learn to protect herself and what little spark of innocence remained in her little sister.

Glenda paused, taking in the words that had been spoken in the unfamiliar tone by her daughter. Veronica's voice had been quite a bit higher the last time she'd heard it, twenty years ago. She wasn't sure whether this was down to her daughter's adolescence at the time, or the desperate circumstance the young teen had been forced into as her mother abandoned her and left the house without another word. With a deep breath, Glenda grasped an air of bravery and entered into the conversation her daughter had so daringly begun.

GLENDA: I came looking for Jessica. I was worried. London's no place for a pregnant woman of her age to be wandering about in alone.

Ronnie hesitated, her head cocking to the side in slight confusion as she processed her mother's words. She hadn't ever imagined that Glenda knew about Jessica, let alone kept in touch with her. After all the woman had eradicated all contact with her children, or so Ronnie had thought. She thought back to the moment not so long ago when she'd approached the door of the kitchen and caught the first glance of her mother. Ronnie had been so shocked at the sight of the woman that she hadn't taken the time to see how her niece had looked. Presumably from the lack of fuss the twenty year old had made, Jessica must have been used to Glenda's presence. Ronnie began to feel a little sick as she looked back on the past couple of days she'd spent with Jessica, never realising that if she'd just mentioned her mother to her niece that the twenty year old might have admitted she knew the older woman. Then Ronnie might not have reacted quite as out of character as she had done moments ago. But it had been a natural response. Her mother had walked out on her so suddenly. She'd been left alone, pregnant and upset. There were so many questions that had built up in her mind and as Ronnie dug deep into those innermost thoughts that she'd kept buried for so many years, pulling them to the surface ready to ask, she almost felt dizzy:

RONNIE: So when you left…where did you go? I mean I know you eventually went to Australia, but before then?

As Glenda heard her daughter ask a question she could tell had been bubbling away under the surface for years and years, she watched her Granddaughter walk into the room with a tray that had mugs of tea balancing on top. But her eyes did not leave the sharp blue eyes of her daughter. Glenda furrowed her brow as she focused on the particular location Veronica had identified in a seemingly definite way.

GLENDA: Australia?

Drew sat back in the armchair he'd been perched on as he continued to watch the two women on the sofa. His hands reached up to his face as he groaned slightly at his sister's words. _Australia?_ Where had she got Australia from? His hands fell to his lap as he watched his daughter place the tray of teas on the coffee table, her face looking over at him with equal confusion.

GLENDA: Veronica, I've never been to Australia in my life. In fact, I've never even been out of Europe!

Jessica picked up two mugs of tea, leaving two on the tray in front of her Aunt and her Grandmother, then stepped over to her father who looked up at her grimly as he accepted one of the mugs of tea that Jessica handed out to him. She could tell something was wrong. That for some bizarre reason her Aunt had thought that Glenda had moved to Australia. In fact the topic of conversation was so surprising that Jessica chose not to dwell on how unusual it was to hear her Aunt being called by her birth name.

GLENDA: Who told you I'd moved to Austr-

Glenda paused mid-sentence, knowing full well the answer to the question she was halfway through asking. That slimy, conniving man. Well no wonder she'd never received a card or letter from either of her daughters, because they both thought she'd emigrated! The culprit's name fell out of her mouth as an almost after-thought and Glenda shook her head in disbelief as her daughter looked almost close to tears again.

GLENDA: Archie… Trust him to think of the furthest place possible.

Jessica suddenly felt sick as her Grandmother revealed the name. She knew her Grandfather was trouble, that there was some reason why her father and Aunt's despised him, but she'd never imagined that he was capable of convincing his own daughters that their mother had emigrated to Australia when all she'd actually done was move to the other part of Romford, mere miles from the girls themselves. Then again, until a couple of days ago she'd not known an awful lot about the man full stop. Only that he and Drew had fallen out many, many years ago and neither of them talked. But in the space of two days she'd had a couple of run-in's with the old man, had found out that he'd lied about his cousin dying as a child forcing misery upon both Danielle and her Auntie Ronnie, and most recently Jessica had caught the man mere seconds from hitting her Grandmother. Jessica agreed whole-heartedly with Glenda's last comment, it sounded just like something her Grandfather would do. And the twenty year old hated him for it.

Glenda stared into her daughter's blue eyes sadly. Tears had begun to fall down the younger woman's cheeks and Glenda instinctively reached her right hand out, brushing her daughter's left cheek with her thumb, taking care to wipe the tears away. But the tears kept coming, flowing further as Veronica squeezed her eyes shut at the woman's touch. Glenda moved her hand around to her daughter's right cheek, wiping the tears on that side with the back of her right hand. This used to be a common situation many years ago and Glenda had taken every opportunity to comfort her daughter back when she had been a child. The woman's stomach lurched when she thought of all the years when the tears would've fallen without her there to wipe them away. The feel of her daughter's soft damp cheeks now felt unfamiliar to Glenda, and she brought her hand away from the woman sadly, returning her hands to their original position locked together on her lap.

GLENDA: I went to live with your brother and his girlfriend for a while. He was the first person I thought of going to.

Drew shuffled in the armchair uncomfortably as he felt the air in the room increase in temperature, though he wondered if it was due to the heat that had rushed to his face as he waited for an inevitable accusation from his sister, and he didn't have to wait long. He watched as Ronnie turned from their mother over to him, locking her sharp blue eyes on his in shock:

RONNIE: She stayed with you? Drew, why didn't you tell me?

DREW: Well…I…

Drew tried to think of a perfectly good excuse but he couldn't find one. It wasn't as though he could tell her the truth, that their mother had asked him not to tell his sisters where she was. He'd made a promise to Glenda that from the day she arrived at his front door he would never reveal her location. He could tell he'd paused for too long, and his sister continued questioning him, but this time her voice lowered from an accusing tone to a quiet voice which was tainted with pain:

RONNIE: Have…you always known where she was?

Drew sighed and sat forward in the armchair, not knowing what to say. He'd never ever wanted to lie to his little sister, but he was only acting upon their mother's wishes. His heart broke as he saw the tears glistening in Ronnie's eyes. She looked so venerable as she stared at him in disbelief, and he didn't blame her, she would've done anything to have reunited with their mother sooner. Drew watched as Ronnie turned to Glenda in the hope that she might find the answer through her instead. Glenda looked as though she'd frozen on the spot, her eyes caught in a trance with her daughter's identical blue eyes.

RONNIE: Mum?

As the name fell out of the woman's mouth, Glenda's heart melted as she heard the word that came at her in that familiar tone. A tone that told her that her daughter was confused, hurt and looking for answers. A tone that her Veronica had used so often during her pre-teens.

_Glenda raced down the stairs, rounded the corner and headed straight into the heart of the kitchen, placing both of her hands face down on the edge of the sink and breathed heavily as she attempted to shake away her fear. It hadn't been long since she'd finally managed to put her five year old daughter to bed. Roxanne was always a difficult one to put down when she'd had a full day, but it was the first evening in a week that Archie had been home, so the little girl obeyed her father's gentle commands and got straight into bed, even staying still long enough to listen to her mother read a bedtime story before finally falling asleep. Glenda had left the room quietly, knowing full well that Archie was close behind. She'd felt her wrist being gripped by his strong hand, and allowed herself to be dragged to their bedroom across the hall. Reluctantly she'd stayed still, closing her eyes as her husband pushed the bedroom door to then proceeded to tell her off sternly with a quiet voice about how she'd unnecessarily given the children treats that day and that she could never buy their youngest child's love because Roxanne hated her and that he could see why she did. As Glenda stared out of the large kitchen window and out into the garden as her thirteen year old son kicked a football up into the air, she could feel her upper arms beginning to bruise from the strong grip her husband had taken as he'd become more and more frustrated. The woman looked down at the washing up water sadly. If her arms were as bruised as she thought they would be then that would mark the end of her wearing her favourite strapped summer dress this season._

_Glenda held back the tears, allowing herself to sniff once. She needed to remain strong for her children. For her daughter Veronica, who Glenda never wanted the nine year old to see her cry, and for her son Andrew, who had already seen more than any child should ever have to see their mother go through. Glenda needed to remain in this home at least until her older children had grown up and moved out. Home. It was far from the title she would give this place. And having to lay in that bed with her husband beside her, who always seemed to sleep so peacefully, whilst she lay awake fearing what the next day would bring. No this place was no home, it felt more like a prison. _

_VERONICA: Mum, are you okay?_

_Glenda jumped at the sound of her daughter's voice. She looked over at the clock that hung on the wall beside her and realised that at eight o'clock she couldn't exactly send her eldest daughter up to bed. As she sniffed another time, she turned her body to see the beanpole figure of her daughter stood at the back door as the girls bright blue eyes looked over at her inquisitively. At the sight of her mother's face, the nine year old's expression dropped and she looked over at Glenda in concern:_

_VERONICA: Mum?_

GLENDA: Don't blame your brother. It's my fault. I told him that if he ever saw you or your sister, he should never tell you where I am.

Jessica perched on the edge of the armchair that stood beside her father, staring intently at the two women opposite her, her mouth wide open as she continued to listen to the conversation. She felt her son digging a foot into her rib and she gave her bump a little rub to try and ease him away from the uncomfortable position as she attempted to understand her family history. There was so much that wasn't being said, so many memories that neither woman had divulged that Jessica had the feeling she would have to fill in the blanks as she went along. Her Grandmother looked at her Aunt with a sad and guilty look on her face. Her Aunt just looked hurt and confused.

RONNIE: But…_why?_

GLENDA: You saw the state I was in when I left. The bruises, the blood… Veronica, the moment I stepped out of that house I knew I could never go back. If I'd told you where I was you would've come to find me-

RONNIE: Of course I would've done!

GLENDA: -and that's why I didn't tell you. Because if your father knew you were seeing me, he would've tracked you down and killed both of us.

A hush swept over the living room at Glenda's final harsh words. The truth rang in Ronnie's ears and the fight that she'd been building herself up to get into with her mother melted away in a heart beat. The woman was right of course. Ronnie remembered every single detail of the final moments she'd seen her mother. The fear she'd felt when she first caught a glimpse of her mother's battered body, the smell of her mother's perfume, the look of sadness in her mother's sharp blue eyes as they looked down at her regretfully. Ronnie's heart strings tugged and she reached over, placing a hand over her mother's hands.

Glenda looked up at the contact and saw her daughter's eyes staring over at her sympathetically. A wave of relief rushed over her body as she realised that Veronica _had_ remembered what it was like. How suffocated they'd both felt in that house with Archie and Roxanne. The danger Glenda had been in, taking the blows from her husband so her children wouldn't have to. Fortunately Ronnie hadn't been exposed to too much of it until Andrew had been thrown out of the house. But Glenda still felt guilty that her eldest daughter had to be a witness of any of it in the first place. With a loud sniff Glenda cleared her throat and gripped her daughter's hand, forcing a smile to lighten the mood. She hadn't forgotten the state that she'd left Veronica in all those years ago after all:

GLENDA: Anyway enough about the past, tell me about you. What have you been up to for all these years?

Jessica grimaced as her Grandmother showed a classic form of her personality, looking on the bright side without realising just how much she was putting her foot in it. She could hardly imagine her Aunt would want to relive the nightmare year she'd just been through. But to the twenty year old's surprise, Ronnie didn't snatch her hand back like she'd been expecting, instead the woman merely shrugged and spoke in a quiet voice:

RONNIE: Well, what do you want to know?

Jessica figured the woman couldn't go wrong unless she mentioned Ronnie's child. So as far as she was aware, her Grandmother must've known her Aunt was pregnant, but Jessica hoped beyond all hope it wouldn't be the first thing her Grandmother would ask about:

GLENDA: About everything of course! Your job, love life, how my grandchild is doing now their, what, twenty years old…

At the mention of grandchild, Ronnie took her hand back from her mother's grasp, and returned them to her own lap before looking down at them. She knew deep down her mother was always going to ask her about Danielle. About what was happening with her. Ronnie wished she could become smiley and giggly, revealing all the exciting things her daughter was doing right now. Being able to exclaim just how wonderful her daughter was in every way, and how she wished her mother could've been around to see her grow up. But Ronnie couldn't say anything like that, because her daughter was no longer alive. She glanced quickly over at her niece who looked back at her sadly. She couldn't blame her, it really was a tragic story, one which she was usually sick of thinking about or saying. But the idea of talking about it this time gave Ronnie a surge of confidence, as though she wanted her mother to know exactly what had happened. Exactly what could've been prevented had Glenda not left Ronnie when she'd been five months pregnant. So with a shaky voice, Ronnie took a deep breath and began to relive the whole of her life from the teenage years through to that very moment in time, much to her mother's horror.

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**Sorry it's a short one, and sorry its taken me forever to update - life has got so busy recently! Gone are my teenage days when I could spend a whole day in my room just writing fanfics :)  
****Let me know what you think!**


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